Qualifier Mirra Andreeva, 16, defeats world No 22 Anastasia Potapova in straight sets to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon… but insists she’s ‘just a normal teenager’
As Mirra Andreeva sunk in her chair, towel over face, out of breath, the biggest win of her life thus far was still sinking in.
Just 16, her steeliness under pressure bellied her tender age; her unrelenting desire to win far too strong for World No22 Anastasia Potapova.
She raced to 6-2 in the first set against her Russian compatriot, before closing out the second 7-5. Andreeva, having entered Wimbledon through the qualifiers, is in the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time, in only her third tournament at full level. Incredible.
The teenager revealed afterwards that she models her game on tennis legend Rafael Nadal.
She said: ‘I was really impressed because after an injury, he (Nadal) came back, he won the Australian Open, he won the French Open.
Qualifier Mirra Andreeva, 16, reached the fourth round at Wimbledon with a straight sets win
The 16-year-old declares herself as ‘just a normal teenager’ despite making the second week
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‘After that, I can say that now mental-wise I just try to copy him sometimes. I just try to remember what would he do in these moments, what would he do on the score.’
On her life away from the court, she added: ‘Actually I’m just a normal teenager, like a normal girl. I do, I think, everything that the girls my age do. I love to watch some series. I have to do school, I have no choice!
‘When I have free time, I prefer to… sometimes be alone, just with myself. But most of the time I watch Netflix.’
She was straight out the blocks, breaking her opponent’s serve three times in the first set — four unforced errors relative to Potapova’s 16 told the story.
Though the second set proved far more challenging, Potapova having finally found her way back into the match to go up 3-1, with the tide meandering in her favour. Andreeva’s thighs were also taking punishment, punching herself in anger when points were dropped.
She clawed it back to 4-4, and then at 6-5 ahead a lob shot was called out, Andreeva challenged. She was right. Then Potapova crashed the ball into the net on her opponent’s match point.
The result was some redemption, too. Wildcard entry, which Andreeva will almost certainly have been granted, was not allowed for this tournament — Russians are excluded from this route.
World No 22 Anastasia Potapova was not strong enough to handle Andreeva’s blistering play
Meanwhile World No4 Jessica Pegula eased her way past Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-3.
American Pegula, daughter of billionaire Buffalo Bills owner Terry, was in impressive form against her Ukrainian opponent.
She faces Marketa Vondrousova in the quarter-final on Monday after the Czech prevailed over her compatriot Marie Bouzkova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
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