Russia’s young tennis star
Mirra Andreeva has received high
praise from the likes of
Tim Henman and
Laura Robson after producing the biggest
upset of the
Australian Open 2023.
The 16-year-old defeated the current world number six
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in straight sets with a score of 6-0, 6-2.
Following that result, Robson heaped praise on Andreeva who
was just ‘flawless’ against three-time Grand Slam runner-up.
"Her biggest weapon was her composure today because
yes, the scoreline wasn’t very close and she could have maybe got nervous had
it been tighter," she said. "She never let it affect her. She was
ripping backhands and she’s such a great mover that she’s always able to come
through the longer rallies. She was willing to open up the lines so early that
Ons always felt like she was on the back foot.
"Two things were true: Mirra played a great match,
flawless from start to finish, and also Ons looked a little undercooked. It
wasn’t a good combination, especially for Jabeur, having not played a lead-up
tournament, I felt like that was really obvious, but you have to give full
credit to Andreeva, she played amazing."
On the other hand, Henman was full of praise for Andreeva and
predicted that the 16-year-old could produce more upsets in the near future.
"It was hardly a contest,” he said. “Jabeur’s been
playing so well, she’s been in three Slam finals, but we know the capabilities
of Andreeva already. Only 16, she’s had some really good results in the Slams,
and to come out on that stage and take apart a top 10 player in that type of
fashion speaks volumes about not only her game, but her mentality and her
belief to really destroy her. So she’s definitely one to watch out in this
tournament and for many, many more years in the future."
