Mirra Andreeva is into the Last 16 of the 2024
Australian Open after a heroic comeback which saw the 16-year-old overturn a 5-1 deficit in the deciding set against Diane Perry. With questions about her mental strength,
Andy Murray who she has previously admitted her admiration for saying he has a 'beautiful face' said it is an aspect she has and she is a winner.
Andreeva was told about this tweet post match and the 1`6-year-old said she will get it framed and take it everywhere with her. She has previously said tat they have said hello but she is still shy around the former World No.1.
“Honestly, I didn’t really think that he would watch a match, then after he would tweet, he would comment something. Honestly, I will try to print it out somehow. I don’t know, I will put it in a frame. I will bring it everywhere with me. I will maybe put it on the wall so I can see it every day (smiling),” the 16-year-old said.
“Yeah, that’s true (expecting too much of myself). Because I won the last time I played her, I had kind of an advantage. I felt like that maybe I should win because I won pretty easy on the score. When you think like this, it’s always happens like 1-6 in the first set. Then I just decided to, I don’t know, fight, to win one game at a time. Maybe being harsh on myself actually helped me. I don’t know. I just try to think positively. This harshness, let’s say, helped me with it because I am not very positive in my head usually. I don’t know. I just kept pushing myself. I was saying not good words to myself. I think that helped me, that pushed me, so…”
Hingis admiration
But it is also Martina Hingis that she admires and is a player who she takes facets of her game style off with comparisons previously being lazy and headed towards Maria Sharapova, but it is more Hingis she is trying to emulate.
“I actually watched a lot of Hingis’ matches. I heard that people compare me to her. I really like the way she plays. But I think we’re a bit different in a way that she plays smart. She kind of reads the game. I feel like she’s a bit more aggressive. She’s not afraid to go to the net. Me, I prefer to stay on the baseline. If I have an opportunity, I go to the net of course,” Andreeva said. “She always wanted to go to the net to finish the point. Me, I mean, I can finish the point on the baseline, I feel okay. The final of Roland Garros against Steffi Graf, I watched this match. I felt so bad for her. Of course, Steffi Graf was also an amazing player. She played really good. I felt really sad watching her kind of, I don’t know, all this crowd was on her. I watched this match several times. Every time I feel the same way: that she didn’t really deserve it.”