“I will put it in a frame. I will bring it everywhere with me” – Andreeva gushes over Murray praise after heroic comeback
The 16-year-old also said she is a big fan of Martina Hingis, the last 16-year-old to win a Grand Slam in women’s tennis
Mirra Andreeva at the 2024 Australian Open
Watching her game and poise on court, it’s sometimes easy to forget that Mirra Andreeva is still just 16. The Russian added another big win in her so far short pro career by turning around a 5-1 deficit in the deciding set against France’s Diane Parry to win their third-round match in a final set tiebreak and advance to the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday.
But her innocence and age became evident during her post-match press conference when she was asked about her idol, Andy Murray’s, quotes about her latest big win.
Minutes after Andreeva’s win, Murray tweeted, “Andreeva down 5-1 in third. Commentator “she really needs to work on mental side of her game.. she’s too hard on herself when she’s losing” 30 minutes later 7-6 Andreeva wins. Maybe the reason she turned the match round is because of her mental strength. Maybe she turned the match around because she is hard on herself and demands more of herself when she’s losing/playing badly? Winner.”
Like a typical teenager, Andreeva was flattered with Murray’s words and said she will find a way to carry his praise around.
“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.
Andreeve also agreed with Murray’s assessment that she does expect a lot out of herself. “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…”
Andreeva is through to the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the second time in her career, the first came at Wimbledon last year, and now has a 9-3 record in the Majors as a pro.
Win-loss record in first four Grand Slams on the pro tour
- Monica Seles 18-3
- Mirra Andreeva 9-3* (still alive at the 2024 Australian Open)
- Venus Williams 11-4
- Serena Williams 8-4
- Martina Hingis 6-4
- Steffi Graf 5-4
The final of Roland Garros against Steffi Graf, I watched this match. I felt so bad for her.
Mirra Andreeva on watching Martina Hingis lose the 1997 French Open final to Steffi Graf
The last time a 16-year-old won a Grand Slam in women’s tennis was Martina Hingis, who her first Major in Melbourne in 1997 and the Swiss is another of Andreeva’s big favourites.
“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.”
“I don’t think that I did something incredible. I have time to do it, I hope.” – Andreeva
While many would have been ecstatic about their progress to the last 16 at a Grand Slam, Andreeva said she doesn’t think she has done anything incredible yet, perhaps another sign of what she expects from herself.
“I didn’t really have time to think what’s happening. I don’t think it’s a big deal. I mean, fourth round, yes, I’m 16, maybe it’s a bit new. Honestly, I don’t think that I did something amazing. I’m just trying to win a match. I’m just trying to fight,” Andreeva said. “Fourth round is nothing. Maybe if I win a slam, I have to win three more matches, and it’s really tough to win seven matches in a row. I don’t think that I did something incredible. I have time to do it, I hope.”
Next up for the teenager is a fourth-round clash against ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova or local favourite Storm Sanders. Win or lose, she is guaranteed to break into the top 40 of the world rankings for the first time after the Australian Open (currently at No 32 in the live rankings), and will continue to rise up the rankings as the restrictions on the number of events she can enter (due to WTA age-eligibility rules, wear off.
