By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, January 12, 2025
Picture credit score: Jean Catuffe/Getty
Shrewd court docket sense makes teenager Mirra Andreeva a significant risk.
Nowadays, Andreeva goals to proceed her ahead march wanting again to an all-court artist.
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Roland Garros semifinalist Andreeva confirmed bold assault sweeping Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-3 to roll into the Australian Open second spherical.
A yr in the past, Andreeva knocked off Ons Jabeur en path to the AO fourth spherical in her match debut. She returns to Melbourne this yr ranked No. 15 and pushing towards a High 10 breakthrough.
The 17-year-old Andreeva is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, however cites one other Grand Slam champion as her tennis function mannequin: Martina Hingis.
Corridor of Famer Hingis captured three consecutive Australian Open championships from 1997-1999.
The Swiss Miss’ ability enjoying off the entrance foot and shutting at web have impressed Andreeva to sharpen her web expertise.
At the moment, Andreeva received 14 of 21 journeys to web and typically used her exact return recreation to arrange web rushes. Andreeva, who like Hingis owns a deadly two-handed backhand, received 11 of 15 factors performed on the Bouzkova second serve.
Andreeva sees Hingis as stylistic soul sister.
“I all the time like the best way Martina Hingis was enjoying. I’ve seen some similarities, I might say,” Andreeva mentioned. “She’s additionally enjoying sensible. I might say she performed sensible and I am additionally enjoying sensible as her.
“I am making an attempt to, you understand, play sensible, however I feel that the distinction is that she was by no means afraid to, you understand, are available and end the purpose and be extra aggressive.”
Andreeva, who’s fast across the court docket, mentioned she’s studying to make use of her velocity as an offensive weapon and transition to web.
“Now I am simply beginning to discover ways to do it,” Andreeva mentioned of her efforts to enhance web play. “ I am simply, you understand, the primary matches of the yr I am beginning to, I am making an attempt to pressure myself to complete the purpose on the web or to go, to step within the court docket.”
“I might say that once I watched [Martina Hingis] play, she would all the time, as quickly as she has a possibility, she would all the time are available and attempt to end the purpose much more aggressive,” Andreeva mentioned. “And Steffi Graf, I might say that she’s a tough participant with that slice. And he or she truly performs, I might say, just about like Conchita with a slice, after which she would flip round to her forehand. That may be a bit totally different, so I am not utilizing lots of slices (smiling). However I can see a little bit of similarities with me and Martina Hingis.”
