Can the Russian match the quality of the World Number 1?
World number one Aryna Sabalenka takes on the Russian Anastasia Potapova in today’s round of 64 clash at the Italian Open in Rome. Sabalenka continues to power through and is having a strong year thus far, while her opponent has had mixed results with just one title this year. Potapova hasn’t been able to go deep in most tournaments so this match against Sabalenka could be a struggle for the Russian.
The Belarusian World number one started the year on the right foot with a win at the Brisbane International, following which she reached the final of the year’s first Grand Slam, losing to the 19th-seeded Madison Keys in what was an upset. After a couple of early exits, she has made 4 consecutive finals at Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, and Madrid, winning 2 titles along the way.
Aryna Sabalenka and Anastasia Potapova have met only once on tour before. Their only meeting to date came back in 2023 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where Sabalenka earned a comfortable straight-sets victory.
The pair was scheduled to meet once again earlier this year in the round of 16 at the Stuttgart Open, but the Russian had to withdraw from the match since she had strained a prior injury during her round of 32 encounter.
| Year | Event | Round | Winner | Score |
| 2023 | Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Stuttgart | Semifinal | Aryna Sabalenka | 6-1, 6-2 |
Aryna Sabalenka is the current world number 1 and is playing some excellent tennis at the moment. She has been a consistent force on the WTA tour for the past few years and has 3 Slams to her name, notably two Australian Opens, and a US Open. Potapova, on the other hand, is still looking for consistent success on the tour. The 24-year-old has just 3 titles to her name to date, with her best performance at a Grand Slam coming at last year’s French Open when she reached the 4th round.
| Aryna Sabalenka | Category | Anastasia Potapova |
| 1 | Ranking | 34 |
| 447-193 | Career W-L | 231-162 |
| 31-5 | YTD W-L | 16-7 |
| 20 | Career Titles | 3 |
| 3 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 3 | YTD Titles | 1 |
With the current form between the two players, it is hard to imagine the Russian pushing this match to three sets, let alone winning it. Potapova did show tremendous ability in her last match, coming from behind to win in three sets, but if she falls behind today, Sabalenka may just cruise to victory.
Match Prediction: Sabalenka in straight sets
Aryna Sabalenka: 2/15
Anastasia Potapova: 5/1
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