Wimbledon: Madison Keys survives huge scare to get past Mirra Andreeva and reach the last eight

Madison Keys fought back from a set and a break down against tenacious Russian qualifier Mirra Andreeva to win 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 and advance to her first Wimbledon quarter-final in eight years.

Keys, ranked 18th in the world, was under extreme pressure from the off as another scalp from the precocious teenage qualifier looked to be firmly on the cards.

Andreeva dominates opening exchanges

Despite falling a break behind early on in the match, Andreeva recovered to take the first set by storm and move 3-0 ahead in the second, winning seven games in a row as she completely outmanoeuvred and outhit her more experienced opponent.

The dominance of the young Russian at that stage would have led some in the crowd to wonder whether the match was going to last past the hour mark. Few would have predicted the shift in momentum that was to take place.

Having steadied the ship with a crucial hold of serve at 3-0 down, Keys found herself back pressure serving at 4-1. The American saved a break point in that game, winning three points in a row with some clutch tennis to hold serve and stay in touch with Andreeva.

In the seventh game, Keys made the vital breakthrough, breaking back with an astonishing left-handed drop-shot, switching hands mid-rally, and then holding serve to move level on four games apiece in that second set.

"What did we just see?"@Madison_Keys switched hands mid-point 😲#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/lNdv0rLlm7

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2023

Some impressive holds of serve from both players followed to take the middle stanza into a fitting tiebreak finish.

Razor-thin margins again decided the breaker, with Andreeva quickly finding herself 3-0 down only to recover to balance the scoreline at 4-4.

But it was the greater experience of Keys that proved pivotal, who found a way through to win the tiebreak and move the match level at one set all.

Final set drama on Wimbledon’s Court 2

The former US Open finalist then put her foot down to exert yet more pressure, moving a break up at the start of the decider and holding serve either side of that to go 3-0 up.

The occasion then seemed to weigh heavily upon Andreeva, who became visibly emotional as the pressure of the situation took its toll on the young Russian.

Andreeva showed her tenacity to stay in touch, until the final game of the match when things quickly unravelled for the 16-year-old.

Having already received a code violation for throwing her racket after losing the second set, Andreeva then received a point penalty for being deemed to throw her racket at the court surface for a second time.

pic.twitter.com/iEiHqpM095

— 📷 (@flopina_media) July 10, 2023

It may have appeared a harsh call to some, as the racket left her hand following a slip on the court. Nevertheless, it handed match point to her opponent.

Yet more drama was to come when Andreeva believed she had saved that match point with an ace, only for Keys to correctly challenge and reveal the ball to have landed long.

The big-hitting American then took full advantage of the second serve to close out a hugely challenging win over a thoroughly impressive young opponent.

Occasion gets the better of an emotional Andreeva

Ultimately, the pressure of the situation got the better of Andreeva in the final set, who allowed her emotions to dictate her mindset and hand a significant advantage to Keys.

However, it is important to remember that this undeniably precocious young player has only recently turned 16 and will have plenty of time to hone the emotional and mental side of her game in the years to come.

For Madison Keys, meanwhile, it will go down as one of her finest comebacks. The Eastbourne champion is now on a nine-match winning streak and is back into the quarter-finals of Wimbledon for the first time in eight years.

Keys stays on course, back in Wimbledon last eight

She will face the winner of the match between Ekaterina Alexandrova and Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, in the last eight.

“I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure it out,” said Keys when asked during her on-court interview how she was able to turn that match around.

“I knew she was a phenomenal player, had no pressure and was going for everything.

“I knew I had to stay in the match and get an opportunity to break back. I got the momentum and kept going.

“It’s amazing. My quarter-final run all those years ago was amazing and I fell short. It’s amazing to be back in the quarter-finals here at Wimbledon.”

Mirra Andreeva will be back, and looks highly likely to have many, many glorious days at SW19.

But it is the American who proceeds today, and if momentum is anything to go by, Madison Keys will be a very difficult player to dislodge at this year’s Championships.

London (Grand Slam), other last 16 results (All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, grass, GBP 16.077.000, most recent results first):

• Ons Jabeur vs. Petra Kvitova
• Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Aryna Sabalenka
• Beatriz Haddad Maia vs. Elena Rybakina
• Elina Svitolina (WC) beat Victoria Azarenka (19): 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (9)
• Iga Swiatek (1) beat Belinda Bencic (14): 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-3
• Jessica Pegula (4) beat Lesia Tsurenko: 6-1, 6-3
• Marketa Vondrousova beat Marie Bouzkova (32): 2-6, 6-4, 6-3