Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk thwarted Anastasia Potapova’s attempt at a comeback, defeating the Russian 6-0, 7-5 to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells ATP-WTA Masters on Thursday.
Despite challenging weather conditions in the California desert, Kostyuk adapted well and dominated the opening set, taking just 22 minutes to clinch victory.
The second set seemed to be mirroring the first as Kostyuk quickly took a 3-0 lead, but Potapova fought back, breaking Kostyuk’s serve and making it a tight match.
Despite leading 6-0, 3-0, Kostyuk admitted it was a challenging situation. Eventually, she secured victory with another break of serve.
Reflecting on the match, Kostyuk acknowledged the tricky conditions and her resilient opponent, Anastasia. She felt she became too passive at times but managed to hang on for the win.
Next, she faces either Iga Swiatek or Caroline Wozniacki, both formidable opponents. Swiatek, the current world number one, and Wozniacki, a former number one, have a history dating back to 2019.
Meanwhile, in other quarter-final matchups, Coco Gauff faces Yuan Yue, and Maria Sakkari takes on Emma Navarro, with both matches expected to be challenging.
