Third Seed Jessica Pegula came from a set down for the second consecutive to advance into the round 16 of the Indian Wells.
“I think I started playing a little bit smarter, getting a lot of depth on my shots, everything got a little bit better,” Pegula said. “She came out playing really well, and I was pretty frustrated. She’s a great player. … I knew that she’s been playing great. [At the net] I just told her, ‘Congrats,’ and I think it was just a respectable battle today.”
Potapova won the first set in 39 minutes, claiming the only break of the game on Jessica’s third service game, but Pegula responded by breaking immediately in the second. Despite going level in the match, the American trailed 3-1 in the third set, only to fight back again and triumph in two hours and 17 minutes.
Pegula will face 15th seed and Grand slam champion Petra Kvitova after she also won a three-set contest, Jelena Ostapenko, 0-6 6-0 6-4. The two have gone up against each other four times, with Kvitova winning three of their last meetings.
