Anastasia Potapova cannot be stopped. The Russian dismissed Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 in just under two hours to reach the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open. Entering the main draw as a lucky loser from qualifying, the world No. 56 is writing a chapter without precedent in the tournament's history.
No lucky loser had ever reached the Madrid semifinals since the women's event was created. Before Wednesday, none had even made it past the quarterfinals. Potapova has smashed both barriers in eight days, taking out Jelena Ostapenko and world No. 2 Elena Rybakina before dispatching the Czech veteran.
The opening set was a masterclass. Potapova suffocated Pliskova from the start, seizing control of the rallies with measured aggression. 6-1 in thirty-two minutes, without conceding a single break point. The Russian struck every ball with conviction, dictating tempo from the baseline.
Pliskova responded in the second set with the composure of a former world No. 1. The tiebreak turned into a spectacle. Fifty-five minutes for that set alone, three match points saved by the Czech in the breaker. Pliskova snatched the set through sheer force of will, refusing to surrender against the Russian tide.
But the third set confirmed the pattern of this tournament: Potapova possesses physical reserves her opponents keep underestimating. The Russian broke early, then managed her lead with clarity. Pliskova, despite a powerful and consistent serve, could not find the resources to turn the tide a second time.
Since the start of the tournament, Potapova has won three out of four three-set matches. This ability to perform in pressure moments is no accident. The Russian had already shown this resilience in Melbourne in January, reaching the Australian Open round of 16.
In the semifinals, Potapova will face the winner of the quarterfinal between Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova. Regardless of the opponent, the Russian will enter the last four with the total freedom of someone with nothing to lose. And when a player under no pressure keeps beating the tour's elite, the words "fairy tale" stop being an exaggeration.