Mirra Andreeva continues to amaze world tennis. The Russian, just 16 years old, played incredible tennis to crush Our Jabeur, sixth seeded, in less than an hour, leaving the Tunisian out of the Australian Open in the second round.
In his first major tournament in the Melbourne ParkAndreeva was overwhelming to defeat the three-time Grand Slam runner-up and world number six by 6-0 and 6-2 in the Rod Laver Arena in just 54 minutes. And she broke a historic record, because she became the youngest player to defeat an opponent ranked among the top ten favorites in a Grand Slam main draw in the Open Era.
The brand that improved had been in force for almost 35 years and belonged to the Spanish Conchita Martinezwho at 17 years and 48 days beat Katerina Maleeva (9th) in the round of 16 of Roland Garros 1989.
Andreeva also became the second youngest tennis player to give up just three games in a duel against a top 10 seed in a “big”, after Jelena Dokicwhat in Wimbledon 1999also 16 years old, surprised the Swiss in her debut Martina Hingistop favorite, by beating him 6-2 and 6-0.
Located in 47th place in the ranking WTAthe Russian celebrated his first victory over a Top 10, after making the big leap on the circuit last year when he reached the fourth round in the British “big” as a player emerged from the classification.
The victory had a very special flavor for her, because she achieved it against a rival she has admired since she was a child.
“I was very nervous before the match because Ons and his way of playing inspire me a lot,” Andreeva said. “Before starting to play WTA Tour I always followed her and watched all her games. And playing with her was a dream. It meant a lot to me. I’m excited”.
The one born in Krasnoyarsk assured that against Jabeur she played, perhaps, the best game of her short career.
“In the first set I showed incredible tennis, I honestly did not expect to play so well. The second set was not so bad either. I am very happy with the level I showed,” he added. “She was nervous, but I saw that she was nervous too and that helped me. I decided to enjoy it, because it was the Rod Laver, I faced the player I like and decided to just play. And I think I did well.”
“Playing against Ons was a dream,” Andreeva said. Photo David GRAY / AFP
Andreeva already had experience on center court at Melbourne Park. Last year, she competed there in the singles final of the junior competition, which she lost to her compatriot Alina Korneeva. A defeat that hurt him, but that he forced himself to quickly leave behind.
“After losing that final, I was very angry. I didn’t think about anything else for a week. I replayed the game in my head and told myself ‘I should have done this differently and I am too, and this…’. But after all those complaints to myself, I had to let it go and move on. It’s not going to be the most painful defeat of my career. I think I’m going to have other matches in finals where I’m going to be leading and I’m going to lose… Maybe, I hope not, but I think it will happen because it’s tennis,” she confessed.
“When I saw that I was going to play again at the Rod Laver, I thought ‘This time I have to take advantage of my chances and win on the big court for the first time’. And I did,” he concluded.
The first set showed Andreeva’s power and concluded in just 20 minutes with Jabeur, 29, completely out of the match with 10 unforced errors.
The Tunisian, who reached the final twice at Wimbledon and once at the US Open, finally held serve to catch his breath in the first game of the second set, a point he celebrated. But the Russian teenager broke again for 2-1 and then 4-1. There Jabeur showed with her gestures that she knew that her path to the first Grand Slam of the year was over.
After making her debut on the WTA Tour in 2022, Andreeva took a huge leap in 2023. Just days before her 16th birthday, she received a wild card to compete in the WTA 1000 Madrid. And with the victory in the first round against the Canadian Leyla Fernandez She became the third youngest player to win a match in this category, behind the Americans Coco Gauff y Catherine Bellis.
A few weeks later, he surpassed the classification of Roland Garros (he later said goodbye in the third round) and had his baptism in a Major. And after passing the previous phase of Wimbledonreached the eighth in the All Englandin which a victory was scored in the second instance against the Czech Barbora Krejcikovatenth seed.
Andreeva climbed from 297th to 46th place in the ranking last year. Photo David GRAY / AFP
Thus, he managed to climb from 293rd position in the ranking, which he occupied in the first update of 2023, to 46th, his best position, where he appeared at the beginning of November (he ended the season in 57th). And because of his age, he still can’t play too many tournaments. WTA rules state that at 16, a player can play only ten events per year, plus the Grand Slams. When she turns 17 on April 29 she will be able to add a few more, because she will be allowed to perform in 13 events, in addition to the Majors.
With the chance to add more appointments to her calendar and a potential that is far from having reached its ceiling, Andreeva has everything to continue surprising in 2024 and breaking precocity records. As she did in Melbourne Park, she with a crushing victory against one of the big favorites.
2024-01-17 20:57:17
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