Key events<\/p>\n
Potapova is back in control over Andreeva, 3-2 up in the second set, having won the first.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Hello! Zheng\u2019s revival continues, and it\u2019s back at 5-3. When Swiatek steps up to serve, she\u2019s taken to the wire, but lands a third set point when Zheng overhits. Still, she saves another deuce with another, dripping forehand. And then lands a break point, which is saved. Swiatek is in deep conference with her coaches, this is not going to plan as another break point is stared down. A wild swipe means it\u2019s back on serve and Zheng has won four consecutive games.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Potapova fights back in the second set, hitting one beauty of shot on the way to a break point to level at 2-2. And she manages it when Andreeva was looking to go 3-0 up.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Gutsy stuff from Zheng, as would be expected, and she stops herself from losing the set by breaking back. It\u2019s still 5-2, but there are signs of life.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Righto, I need to dash, so here\u2019s John Brewin to hang with you for the next little bit; Potapova leads Andreeva 7-5 0-2 30-all, and Swiatek leads Zheng 5-1 deuce.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Andreeva goes down 0-15 then complains about spectators coming in once rallies are in progress. Then, at 30-15, she goes slightly wide with an attempted winner down the line \u2026 only to conjure a delectable drop, waved from above shoulder-height, taking her to within a point of consolidation. Potapova, though, makes deuce, two big forehands restoring it after Andreeva makes advantage. From there, though, the French Open champ closes out for 5-7 2-0 while, on Ashe, Zheng is starting to compete, holding to save the bagel then pushing Swiatek to deuce as she seeks to serve out the set.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Andreeva has advised herself. Before she was broken, she exchanged frantic gesticulations with her coach, but she comes from behind in the game to raise break point as Potapova loses focus, a booming backhand converting 30-40 into 1-0.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Yeah Zheng isn\u2019t ready for the skill and intensity Swiatek brings to the court. Anisimova is an amazing player and her backhand is probably my favourite shot in the game, men or women, but she doesn\u2019t have that nastiness about her \u2013 yet \u2013 while Swiatek is defined by it. She leads 4-0 and, in the time it takes me to write this post, holds for 5-0.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Excellent hitting from Potapova, who gets to 0-15 courtesy of a double, then unleashes on the forehand to make 0-30; Andreeva is under it. And she buckles, another double donating three st points \u2026 converted when a backhand flies a good foot long, at least. Potapova leads 7-5 and doesn\u2019t she deserve it! This has been a performance of confidence and enterprise; Andreeva isn\u2019t quite sure how to respond.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Potapova is wearing the pressure really well, holding to 15 and forcing Andreeva to serve for a breaker at 6-5. There\u2019s a lovely abandon to her game: she\u2019s come to attack and she\u2019s not second-guessing herself, rather committing to her shots and getting good value for them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n On Ashe, meanwhile, Swiatek holds then breaks Zheng immediately for 2-0.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Excellent work from Andreeva, racing in to pick up a net cord and finding a decent riposte, eventually making 15-0 with an overhead. But from there, Potapova makes 15-30, only to go fractionally long with a backhand to end a terrific rally. Nevertheless, she remains two points from the set \u2026 but not for long, Andreeva quickly closing out for 5-5.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Back on Armstrong, we\u2019re still level but at 4-4, Potapova playing with confidence and poise. She holds to 30, and Andreeva must now serve to stay in set one.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Zheng and Swiatek are out on court; Zheng, the Olympic champion, had to come through qualifying after missing time with an elbow injury, but two weeks of competition have brought her into the main event nicely loose. I\u2019d be surprised if she finds a way to win here, but she did at those Olympics, so knows she can.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Potapova has made an impression on each of Andreeva\u2019s service games and she makes 15-30 on this latest one. But from there, the hold is sealed, and these two good mates are playing a really entertaining match so far; it\u2019s 3-3.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Now Potapova holds for 3-2, and we\u2019ll shortly have action from Ashe too, where Swiatek and Zheng are due.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Again, Andreeva struggles on serve, but at 30-all, Potapova thwacks a return long. Again, though, when a second delivery arrives, she assaults it, a deep return facilitating a clean-up forehand, muscled inside-out from the backhand corner; deuce. But though Andreeva doesn\u2019t convert her first advantage, she immediately earns another, sealing the hold with a service winner to level the set at 2-2.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Ridicuolous athleticism from Andreeva, sliding into net to make a volley, has Potapova applauding at 0-15. But she certainly isn\u2019t at 15-30, when a net cord leaves her one to dispatch, only for her to unload the suitcase at a ball not requiring violence, overhitting by a long way to donate two break-back points. And Andreeva only needs one; Potapova leads 2-1 in the first.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n And Potapova holds to 30. She\u2019s never been beyond round four of a major \u2013 she\u2019s fallen at that stage twice in Paris \u2013 and will know the extent of her task today. As if to underline the point, Andreeva opens with an ace, but a forehand winner makes 15-all and we wind up at 30s. Just watching this game, I think Potapova fancies tucking into her opponent\u2019s second serve; she attacks one, then unleashes a murderous inside-out backhand, followed by a fore to the same corner \u2013 in the process raising break point. And, though she accidentally sends over a moon ball, Andreeva swipes her attempted winner wide and trails 0-2.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n My predictions during this competition have been an absolute nonsense, and I fancied Anisimova to win the women\u2019s event, but misguided or not, to beat her on a hard court requires a proper standard, and Potapova did it in straights. She\u2019s serving first on Armstrong\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I can\u2019t lie, part of me wondered if Andreeva would ever win a slam. Not because I doubted her talent, but because I feared that at some point in every major, she\u2019d be out-hit by an opponent with a bigger but not necessarily better game. In the event, though, her preternatural grasp of the game is worth more than a few mph, the question no longer how but how many.<\/p>\n