LOS ANGELES: Anastasia Potapova upset top seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA San Diego Open on Wednesday as second seed Caroline Garcia advanced safely.
Potapova, ranked 27 in the world, said patience was the key to her 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) victory over world number seven Jabeur, who reached her third Grand Slam final at Wimbledon this year.
“Ons is very difficult to play,” said Potapova, who beat Alycia Parks in three sets in the first round while Jabeur had a first-round bye.
“She is truly one of the best in the world and with her style it is very uncomfortable. She really likes to mix things up, and I’m actually really proud of myself today for being able to stay calm, stay focused, and do what I needed to do.
Jabeur was coming off a fourth-round win at the US Open, where she battled illness from the early rounds.
Potapova notched her sixth career victory against a top-10 player and reached a quarterfinal with 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, winning 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 against her compatriot American Katie Volynets.
Potapova converted six of her 11 break chances, breaking the Tunisian at love to seal the first set.
Jabeur served during the second set at 6-5 but was broken, with Potapova taking a 4-0 lead into the tiebreaker before Jabeur attacked to tie it at 4-4.
Jabeur’s ninth double fault of the match gave Potapova a double match point, and Jabeur shot wide with a forehand to end it.
Frenchwoman Garcia served eight aces in her 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, avenging a loss to the American last month in Cincinnati, where Stephens ended the French player’s title defense in the second half. round.
Garcia will next face American Danielle Collins, who beat Latvian Jelena Ostapenko 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Third-seeded Maria Sakkari of Greece also reached the quarterfinals, qualifying when Colombia’s Camila Osorio withdrew from the match with a right thigh injury while trailing 6-3 , 2-2.
