After being eliminated in the first round of Wimbledon last year, Mirra Andra Andraa returned strongly. She has just defeated Emma Navarro with a score of 6-2, 6-3 to first win tickets to the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Andreeva has now been the youngest player in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon since Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) did this in 2007. In the first time playing on the central field and Roger Federer watched from the royal stands, Andreeva focused that he did not even realize he had won.
“It's crazy,” Andreeva shared. “I was very nervous, first hit on the central field. I tried my best not to look up at the stands because I knew I would lose focus. But at the score of 4-1 (set two), I saw Roger and Mirka (his wife). I saw two people in real life as my dream.
The remarkable point in young players is the progress that takes place almost weekly, from one prize to another. Trained by Conchita Martínez – 1994 Wimbledon champion, Andreeva is considered a long -term future star, but this year she has been really breaking with the Masters 1000 championship at Indian Wells.
The serve also became Andreeva's true weapon. In the first set, she only lost 2 points when serve one, creating a foundation to perform all the skill of giving up, creating a dangerous corner to a strong shot and smart tires – what people called “tennis IQ”. She took 5-1 before Navarro could react, then quickly closed the set.
A high -class ball, ending with a cross -to -pitch, help Andreeva win the first game right. Although Navarro reclaimed the break soon, the Russian player continued to serve the opponent twice to lead 4-1. Navarro removed a break, but Andreeva then won the opponent's white game to close the match – although she did not know she had won.
“I told myself that I was facing the break-point, trying to forget what I was leading,” she said. “I think that helps me keep focusing, and I finally forget the score. I am happy because of that, because if I know the correct score, I will be three times more intense in Match-point.”
The next opponent of Andreeva, Belinda Bennic – the Swiss tennis player also first entered the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, just over a year after giving birth in April last year. Bennic defeated the seed No. 18 Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (4), 6-4. This is the fourth time Benedic in the quarterfinals of Grand Slam, but the first time since 2021.