Australian Open: Mirra Andreeva, the 16-year-old Russian who pulverized Ons Jabeur and broke an impressive record

Mirra Andreeva continues to amaze world tennis. The Russian, just 16 years old, played incredible, crushing tennis Hon Jabeur, sixth seed, in less than an hour, leaving the Tunisian out Australian Open in the second round.

In his first major tournament in Melbourne parkAndreeva was overwhelming in defeating the three-time Grand Slam runner-up and world number six by 6-0 and 6-2 in Rod Laver Arena in just 54 minutes. And she broke a historic record, because she became the youngest player to defeat a rival ranked among the top ten favorites in the Grand Slam main draw. It was open.

The improved brand had been in existence for almost 35 years and belonged to the Spanish Concita Martinezwhich beats at 17 years and 48 days Katerina Maleeva (9th) in the round of 16 Roland Garros 1989.

Andreeva also became the second youngest tennis player to forfeit just three matches Games in a duel against a top 10 seed in a “big”, after Jelena Dokicwhat does it has to do with it Wimbledon 1999also 16 years old, she surprised the Swiss on her debut Martina Hingisbig favorite, beating him 6-2 and 6-0.

It is in 47th place in the ranking WTAcelebrated the Russian his first Top 10 win, after making the big leap onto the circuit last year when he reached the fourth round among the “big” British as a player who emerged from the rankings.

The victory had a very special flavor for her, because she achieved it against a rival she had 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 we start playing WTA tour I always followed her and watched all her matches. And playing with her was a dream. It means a lot to me. I’m excited”.

The one born in Krasnoyarsk ensured that against Jabeur she played, perhaps, the best match of her short career.

“In the first set I showed incredible tennis, I honestly didn’t expect to play so well. The second set wasn’t that bad either. I’m very happy with the level I showed,” he added. “I 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.”

Andreeva already had experience on center court at Melbourne Park. Last year you played in the singles final of the junior competition there, which you lost to your compatriot Alina Korneeva. A defeat that hurt him, but which he forced himself to quickly put behind him.

“After losing that final, I was very angry. I didn’t think about anything else for a week. I replayed the match in my head and said to myself “I should have done it differently and I do too, and this…”. But after all that complaining about myself, I had to let it go and move on. It won’t be the most painful defeat of my career. “I think I will have other matches in the final where I will be in the lead and I will lose… Maybe, I hope not, but I think it will happen because it is tennis,” he confessed.

“When I saw that I would be playing at Rod Laver again, I thought ‘This time I have to take advantage of my opportunities and win for the first time on the big pitch’. And I did,” he concluded.

The first set showcased Andreeva’s power and ended 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 US Open, he 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 at 2-1 and then 4-1. There Jabeur demonstrated with his gestures that he knew that his path to the first Slam of the year was over.

After debuting on the WTA Tour in 2022, Andreeva made a big leap in 2023. A few days before her 16th birthday, she received a wild card to compete in the WTA 1000 Madrid. And with the victory in the first leg against the Canadian Leyla Fernandez She became the third youngest player to win a match in this category, behind the Americans Coco Gauff AND Caterina Bellis.

A few weeks later, it topped the charts Roland Garros (he then bye in the third round) and had his baptism in the Majors. And after passing the previous stage of Wimbledonreached eighth place in All of Englandin which a victory was achieved in the second instance against the Czech Barbora Krejcikovatenth seed.

He thus managed to rise 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 can’t play too many tournaments yet. WTA rules state that at 16 a player can only play ten events a year, plus the Slams. When he turns 17, on April 29, he will be able to add more, because he will be able to participate in 13 events, in addition to the Majors.

With the possibility of adding new events to her calendar and a potential far from having reached its maximum, Andreeva has everything to continue to surprise in 2024 and break precocity records. As he did at Melbourne Park, with a landslide victory against one of the big favourites.