NEW DELHI: Teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva continued her dream run at the Australian Open, staging a stunning come-from-behind victory to advance to the fourth round and equal her best Grand Slam performance.
The 16-year-old, already known for her giant-killing abilities, showcased her potential by defeating sixth seed Ons Jabeur in the previous round and displayed gritty determination in overcoming France’s Diane Parry with a scoreline of 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/5).
Facing a 1-5 deficit in the deciding set, Andreeva mounted an impressive comeback, winning five consecutive games to position herself to serve for the match at 6-5. However, Parry halted the surge by breaking back, setting up a tie-break.
Despite the setback, Andreeva seized control once again, securing a remarkable victory.
In the next round, the 16-year-old Russian will face the winner of the match between Czech ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova and Australian qualifier Storm Hunter.
Andreeva, currently ranked 47th, experienced a challenging start in the opening set against Parry, who dominated from the baseline and broke Andreeva twice. However, the young Russian bounced back in the second set, breaking Parry in the fourth game and ultimately leveling the match.
Despite Parry regaining the upper hand in the deciding set with a break for 2-0, Andreeva displayed resilience, staging a remarkable comeback to secure the victory.
Andreeva’s Grand Slam journey began at the French Open last year, where she reached the third round after coming through qualifying. She gained widespread attention at Wimbledon, reaching the fourth round as a qualifier. In her only other Grand Slam appearance at the US Open, she reached the second round but fell to eventual champion Coco Gauff.
(With inputs from AFP)