Anastasia Potapova vs Wang Qiang Prediction: Young Anastasia tests out veteran Wang

Various artists have lived through various eras of Prague in what is one of the most vibrant cities in Europe. Artistry is not just limited to theatre, paintings, literature, etc, there is a lot of artistry involved when athletes showcase their talent on the big stage. Such will be the case when Anastasia Potapova will clash against Wang Qiang in Prague as just four participants remain in the tournament. 

Anastasia comes into the game after defeating Anett Kontaveit 6-1, 6-1 in the Quarter-Final. Anastasia had a fantastic two-way game, extracting a 74-60% first serve advantage. She had a fantastic 84-44% first serve win and this showcases how great she was with her serve. She also dominated the return game and eked out a 26-6 receiving points advantage while nabbing 28-19 service points.

Potapova is yet to lose a set in the tournament, defeating Zhu Lin in the Round of 16 while taking care of business against Wang Xinyu in the Round of 32. Anastasia is ranked 59 and she is at the peak of her career. This is someone who has been highly impressive since her younger days, when she was a teenager, and keeps on impressing with her game. Can Anastasia become one of the greats in the near future?

Wang has had an impressive run during this tournament. She defeated a tough Magda Linette 7-5, 6-7, 6-4 in a highly competitive game. It was the service points domain where Wang came on top, earning a 73-65 points advantage while Linette had Qiang beat 58-51 in terms of receiving points. Both players broke each other’s serve repeatedly and it was surely a game where Wang was tested to a high degree.

For long-time WTA followers, Wang is a familiar name, someone who has never made it to the deep end of the Grand Slam, except for the Quarter-Final run during the 2019 US Open. Qiang is ranked around 150 which is a big fall from when she was among the top-thirty players for a decent chunk of time. Wang is 30 years old now and even if she has a got a lot left in the tank, time is running out on the veteran.

Anastasia has done a great job of progressing in her young career and although she will come up against a veteran Wang Qiang, a destructive win against Anett Kontaveit would have been a confidence booster. But Wang has seen her fair share of battles in big tournaments at this point, which means Anastasia is may be up for an uphill battle. Still, I’d back Anastasia here.