Anastasia Potapova destroys Anna-Lena Friedsam's dream of reaching the final

Anna-Lena Friedsam missed her chance early on Friday to become the second German after Angelique Kerber (2013) to join the list of winners at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz. After a convincing first set against Anastasia Potapova, Friedsam lost 6:2, 4:6, 1:6 - the dream of reaching the semi-finals and final was over. Marketa Vondrousova qualified for the last four on the day of LINZ AG because her Hungarian opponent Dalma Galfi had to retire at 4:1 in favour of the Czech due to an injury in her right thigh. Vondrousova, the Olympic silver medallist from Tokyo 2021, will face Potapova in the semi-finals on Saturday. "It's my first semi-final this year and I've made it into the top 40 for the first time in my career with this win - I'm speechless with joy," said the 21-year-old Potapova in an on-court interview with tournament host Barbara Schett. . 
 
There will definitely be a new winner at the 32nd edition of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz, as a look at the annals of the Linz women's tennis classic shows. 31 tournaments with winners from twelve countries! Players from the USA and the Czech Republic have been the most successful at the WTA tournament in Linz so far, with five victories each. Five players have taken home the trophy twice: Ana Ivanovic (Serbia), Lindsey Davenport (USA), Jana Novotna (Czech Republic), Sabine Appelmans (Belgium) and Manuela Maleeva (Switzerland). 
 
Tournament founder Peter-Michael Reichel could fill a book with anecdotes and experiences. For example, when the French player Amélie Mauresmo registered in 2004 at exactly 3.59 pm, seconds before the deadline, and then won the tournament. In 2012, Reichel was impressed by the professionalism of Victoria Azarenka. "She got on a plane after her victory in Beijing, travelled to Linz via Vienna and won the tournament," says the father of tournament director Sandra Reichel. In 2006, Reichel's team organised an unforgettable day of skiing for Maria Sharapova's father, who admitted to being a keen skier. On the final day, the father was delighted that his famous daughter had won the tournament. P. M. Reichel has painful memories of 2007, when Mary Pierce suffered a torn cruciate ligament in her left knee in her second-round match - which also signalled the end of the Frenchwoman's career. 
 
Linz winners since 1991:
 
2021 Alison Riske (USA)
2020 Aryna Sabalenka 
2019 Coco Gauff (USA) 
2018 Camila Giorgi (ITA) 
2017 Barbora Strycova (CZE)
2016 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK)
2015 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
2014 Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
2013 Angelique Kerber (GER)
2012 Victoria Azarenka
2011 Petra Kvitova (CZE)
2010 Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
2009 Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
2008 Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
2007 Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)
2006 Maria Sharapova
2005 Nadia Petrova
2004 Amélie Mauresmo (FRA)
2003 Ai Sugiyama (JPN)
2002 Justine Henin (BEL)
2001 Lindsay Davenport (USA)
2000 Lindsay Davenport (USA)
1999 Mary Pierce (FRA)
1998 Jana Novotna (CZE)
1997 Chanda Rubin (USA)
1996 Sabine Appelmans (BEL)
1995 Jana Novotna (CZE)
1994 Sabine Appelmans (BEL)
1993 Manuela Maleeva (CH)
1992 Natalia Medvedeva (UKR)
1991 Manuela Maleeva (CH)