Anastasia Potapova has responded to criticism regarding a gesture she made after her victory over Amanda Anisimova in the third round of the US Open. Potapova, seeded 24th, triumphed over the American player with a score of 6-2, 7-5, marking her first time reaching the fourth round at this tournament in New York.
Some spectators interpreted Potapova’s wave during her celebration as a dismissive farewell to Anisimova, which sparked discussions on social media. Despite the controversy surrounding the moment, Potapova’s impressive win was a highlight of her US Open journey.
In an Instagram post, she clarified the misunderstanding about her wave, stating it was not aimed at Anisimova. “I see so many questions about my bye wave after the match. You just want to create a circus out of everything. I waved to my friend, who has been there supporting me. Just relax, but I guess haters gonna hate,” she wrote.
Potapova, 25, delivered a strong performance against the tenth-seeded Anisimova. She quickly took control of the match, breaking Anisimova early and leading the first set 6-2. Although the second set was more competitive with Anisimova taking the lead on a couple of occasions, Potapova fought back each time and broke her opponent again to secure her victory. She saved 13 of 16 break points and benefitted from Anisimova’s 46 unforced errors.
### Upcoming Clash with Andreeva
Potapova’s win sets her up for a fourth-round match against fellow Russian Mirra Andreeva, who defeated Czech teenager Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6(5). This will be Andreeva’s first appearance in the fourth round at the US Open as well.
This victory is particularly significant for Potapova, who had been close to falling out of the top 100 earlier this year. She has since bounced back, having reached the finals in Linz and the semi-finals in Madrid.
On the other hand, Anisimova’s defeat adds another chapter to her disappointing US Open journey, especially after she reached the finals last year. As the 10th seed this year, her loss means she will drop out of the world’s top 10, adding to her frustrations.
Now that the social media attention has settled, Potapova is eager to keep her focus on tennis as she aims to continue her impressive run against Andreeva.
