Andreeva is the main hope of Russian tennis. But it’s time for Mirra to beat the stars.
Pavel Panyshev August 25, 2023, 18:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The 16-year-old Russian is called the heir to Maria Sharapova. Will she become a superstar?
Recently, the best tennis player in Russia, the third number in the men’s ranking, Daniil Medvedev, deservedly grabs almost all the attention of the national public. Nobody belittles the merits of Karen Khachanov and Andrei Rublev, but, as they say in these cases, it is Daniil who makes the money. The 27-year-old Muscovite has always had the highest prices.
In women’s tennis everything is much more modest. Prior to Sharapova’s success, which Maria had during the years of her professional career, none of the Russians have come close yet. The result – a spectacular figure and grace – Masha had everything to climb the Olympus of tennis. Now a new talented athlete has appeared in Russian tennis – 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva. It is to her that some experts predict the glory of Sharapova. Such a scenario is certainly possible, but there are certain nuances.
All about the main hope of Russian women’s tennis:
Break the tops and train in Cannes. Who is Mirra Andreeva? The sensation of the Madrid tournament.
Thus, the current US Open will be Mirra’s third adult tournament of the Grand Slam series. The debut took place at Roland Garros. Andreeva then became the youngest tennis player since 1995 to qualify at the French Open. In the third round, Andreeva lost to world No. 6 Corey Gauff (7:6, 1:6, 1:6), who recently won the women’s “thousand” in Cincinnati.
In June 2023, again through qualifying, Mirra reached the main draw at Wimbledon and reached the fourth round in London, where she lost to Madison Keys in the most offensive way (6:3, 6:7 (4:7) , 2:6) in a scandal that ended the meeting.
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Thus, Mirra immediately managed to surpass her best result at Grand Slam tournaments and repeat the record of Maria Sharapova, previously the only tennis player of the 21st century who reached the Wimbledon round of 16 at the age of 17.
Mirra Andreeva
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
But let’s not forget that a year later, in 2004, Sharapova won Wimbledon at the age of 17, defeating the legendary Serena Williams in the final. It is possible that Andreeva will repeat this achievement next year, but so far Mirra clearly lacks a strong serve and powerful shots. Still, Sharapova is much taller.
“Mirra Andreeva is a very ambitious girl. I believe that if all goes well with her health, in the very near future she will be in the world elite. Why compare Sharapova and Andreeva? Not worth it. Perhaps she is even better in terms of results, ”says the most titled tennis player in Russian history, former world first racket, winner of two Grand Slam tournaments and Olympic champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
How Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon at 17:
Video
This is what Maria Sharapova, 17, looked like during her triumph at Wimbledon
Mirra’s current achievements on the adult women’s circuit should not be underestimated – 62nd in the live rankings is a very strong result for a young athlete. But to improve her results and become a true star tennis player, it’s time for Andreeva to start beating her top 10 ranked rivals and not losing to Keys-level tennis players who are in the second twenty. Of course, fighting with Sviontek, Sobolenko, Pegula or Rybakina is currently unrealistic for various reasons, but, as practice has shown, it is quite possible and necessary to compete with the same Gauff. In fact, Mirra was able to put pressure on the American in RG, but, from the second set, she lacked physical condition and psychological stability.
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Interestingly, if you study the women’s grid at the upcoming US Open, you’re immediately struck by the likelihood of Andreeva and Gauff meeting in the second round. It’s in those matches that the future star needs to break down and do whatever he can to get revenge on Corey, who has gained momentum from the insulting loss in Paris. Of course, many also depend on the coach, who must bring his pupil to the match in optimal conditions. In this case, Mirra will have another chance to shine before the entire tennis public and apply for a successful performance.
