"I was out of breath almost every point": Andreeva reveals specific reason behind lack of emotion in Potapova clash at Wimbledon

Mirra Andreeva revealed that she was exhausted during her victory against Anastasia Potapova, which is why she couldn't celebrate her points in the third round of the 2023 Wimbledon.

The all-Russian clash was initially scheduled for Saturday, but rain forced the match to be suspended until Sunday, when they finally played. Twenty-two-year-old Anastasia Potapova had reached the second round of Wimbledon for the first time in her career, just like sixteen-year-old Mirra Andreeva, who was making her debut on the grass courts of London.

The young star has already shown her potential to be one of the best players on the WTA tour, with a round of 16 appearance at the Madrid Open, a third-round finish at the French Open, and now reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon. What's impressive is that all these achievements came through qualifying rounds, and she has defeated players such as Krejcikova, Haddad Maia, Leylah Fernandez, Magda Linette, and Potapova this time.

Andreeva is known for displaying a lot of emotion during matches, which has delighted the crowds due to her intense approach to the game. However, the teenager mentioned that she couldn't show any emotion this time, even though she would have wanted to, because she was out of breath.

“I've been working on that really hard with my coaches, with my parents. We talked a lot and now I know how it's easier or better for me to control my emotions in the court, to always stay calm. But today honestly, even if I wanted to show some emotions, I honestly couldn’t because I was out of breath almost every point. So I really couldn’t show any emotions,” Andreev said.

“I'm really happy that I managed to win this match. It was an amazing battle. She played really well. Congratulations to her and her team because they did a good job here. I did everything I could. I gave it all here. I came back from 1-4 in the 2nd set. So of course, I feel great,” she added.

Her first appearance in the second week of a Grand Slam will be against the 25th seed Madison Keys, who recently won the WTA 500 Eastbourne Open a week ago and comes with an 8-0 record on grass this year. Andreeva has already secured her entry into the top 100 for the first time in her career and currently sits at world No. 64 in the live rankings. In the event of a victory over Keys, she would ensure her entry into the top 50.