Mirra Andreeva, 16 years old and with a mind of steel to overturn an impossible match at the Australian Open

It’s no longer amazing to see Mirra Andreeva compete on equal terms with the best tennis players on the WTA circuit. She was a surprise in Madrid last year, when in the same week she turned 16 she beat 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernández and two Top 20 players Beatriz Haddad and Magda Linette. There the world of tennis discovered her once and for all.

Beyond this context, the achievements of this teenager who is generating a revolution continue to attract attention. And in this Australian Open 2024 he continues his march. After winning with a crushing 6-0 and 6-2 against Hon Jabeurtriple Slam finalist and currently in sixth place in the world ranking, the Russian has now made it clear that her virtues are not limited exclusively to what she does with the racket in her hand, but that she also has a mental strength worthy of admiration.

After starting by losing the first set 6-1 Diana Parry and face a 5-1 defeat in the deciding set, He recovered and won 1-6, 6-1 and 7-6 reach the round of 16 of a Slam for the second time in his career.

Even if the statistics do not show her superior to Parry, with eight fewer winners and two more unforced errors, the Russian won 2-0 in the face-to-face match with the Frenchwoman, after also winning the match they had played in l the latest edition of Roland Garros.

At the end of the match, the crowd on pitch 3 stood up to give a resounding ovation to the debutant from Melbourne Park, who is breaking precociousness records. For example with the victory against Jabeur She became the youngest to crack the Top 10.

She improved a record that had been in force for almost 35 years and belonged to the Spanish Conchita Martinez, who at 17 years and 48 days beat Katerina Maleeva (9th) at Roland Garros 1989 in the round of 16.

Now, the virtual world number 32 will have a day off before facing Czech Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 Roland Garros champion, for a place in her first quarter-finals. Greater. Wonderful.