Anastasia Potapova celebrated a successful start under the Austrian flag at a Major tournament. The 23-year-old tennis player, who only recently received Austrian citizenship, clearly defeated the Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the first round of the Australian Open in two sets, 6:4 and 6:1.
For the native Russian, this was her first appearance at a Grand Slam tournament representing the Austrian Tennis Federation. In the Margaret Court Arena, Potapova was focused from the start and especially dominated the game in the second set. The world number 29 converted her first match point after a playing time of 73 minutes.
In the next round, Potapova will face the American McCartney Kessler. With this victory, she secured a positive headline for Austrian tennis early in the tournament, especially since she had been the focus of political attention due to her quick naturalization beforehand. After her win, the player emphasized her joy at now officially representing Austria on the big tennis stage.
