Anastasia Potapova is on the verge of making history at the Madrid Open, but she never expected to be here.

The Russian-born player, now representing Austria, lost in qualifying to Sinja Kraus and didn't think she'd even make the main draw. Now, she's the first lucky loser ever to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal, having knocked off big names like Elena Rybakina, Karolina Pliskova, and Jelena Ostapenko along the way.

Potapova is just one win away from the final, where she could face fellow Russian Mirra Andreeva. The 19-year-old Andreeva has been turning heads all tournament, and Potapova had nothing but praise for her young compatriot.

"I know her so well. We are actually good friends. We talk a lot," Potapova said in her post-match press conference. "She is so talented. She's so young."

The two just faced off in the Linz Open final two weeks ago, with Andreeva winning to extend her head-to-head lead to 3-1. Andreeva has beaten Potapova on every surface now, with her only loss coming back in 2022 when she was just 15.

Potapova believes Andreeva has what it takes to be one of the greatest ever. "I really think she can be the greatest. She has it all, and I would be just happy for her. If we can play a final, it will be very beautiful."

But first, Potapova must get past Marta Kostyuk in the semifinals. Their head-to-head is tied at 2-2, with Kostyuk winning their most recent meeting. A win would set up a blockbuster final between two friends who could be rewriting tennis history for years to come.