Mirra Andreeva has become the name of the first week of the WTA 1000 in Madrid. The 15-year-old Russian tennis player (in two days she will celebrate her 16th birthday) surprised locals and foreigners yesterday by becoming the third-youngest player in history to win a match in an event of this category , also doing so against a Grand Slam Finalist: Leylah Fernandez. Andreeva’s fairy tale did not end there. Just 24 hours later, the 15-year-old knocked out 13th seeded Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia in the second round 7-6(6) 6-3 in 2:18. With today’s, Andreeva is the seventh in history who, with under 16, has broken a top 20 so far this century.

The number three junior and 194th in the WTA dreams of waking up in Madrid. She knew how to suffer and dominated Haddad Maia, winner of two WTA tournaments last year, with extremely intelligent tennis. Andreeva is patient, setting traps for her opponents, and when she sees the opportunity, she shows power and speed. Today she played on track 7 of the Caja Mágica, which was attended by many schoolchildren on excursions and, curiously, who were the same age as the Russian. Not even compete under a blazing sun (30 degrees this Thursday) with that of Krasnoyarsk, in the cold region of Siberia and in which snow is expected next week. Although Mirra says she is used to playing in the heat, since moving to Cannes a few months ago to continue her training.

“I’m extremely happy, I had no expectations and I didn’t expect to be able to beat Leylah and Bea. They are two players that I like to watch, so I am very happy to be able to win them, ”commented timidly Andreeva in the mixed zone. It’s not for less. Initially, the invitation the tournament granted him was for the previous phase, but a few days later he received the news that he would be in the final draw. “I really wanted to play my first WTA 1000. Madrid is one of the most beautiful cities, so I really wanted it. I’m surprised to be in the third round, but everyone told me that the level was almost the same as mine, that the big difference was the mental part. I was ready to beat anyone.”

The only player in history to have won two W60s or more before the age of 16 (she is a champion of six ITF tournaments) is already among the best. He won 14th and 49th in the world, but he wants more. “We’ll see how far I go, it depends on the game and what happens on the pitch. No one knows. I would like to play against Kasatkina. His game is different from many others.” For now, in the third round, she will face Poland’s Magda Linette, seeded 17, who beat Czech Vondrousova on Thursday (7-6(1), 4-6 and 6-4). But Andreeva, who will also play the doubles draw with her 18-year-old sister Erika, looks ready for any battle. “It’s not that I’m calmer, I’m always hungry. I’m happy to give the impression that I’m not nervous, but inside… All points are important and there is pressure.

Playing on what he says is his favorite surface, Mirra is provisionally 164th in the world, and she is already thinking of being able to play in what is her favorite tournament. “I really like Roland-Garros. Last year I played junior, and this year I may have the chance to play the previous one, so I will stay with this tournament”, he commented before pointing out Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur as great references. Her name aims to make a lot of noise in women’s tennis in a short time, in fact, it already does.

Kvitova, bad surprise of the day; Sabalenka starts strong

Besides Andreeva’s victory, the early elimination of Petra Kvitova was the most significant this Thursday at the Caja Mágica. The Czech, 10th in the WTA rankings and champion a few weeks ago in Miami, fell on her debut in Madrid against the German Jule Niemeier, 67th in the world, 7-6 (9) and 6-1 in 1:54. Kvitova thus says goodbye to a tournament she has won three times (2011, 2015 and 2018), while Niemeier, who earned her best ranking win on clay, will face 24th-seeded Belgian Elise Mertens, who beat Canadian Rebecca Marino 6-3, 6-1. Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, seeded 32, also bid farewell to her debut after losing to Camila Osorio 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in 2:16. The Colombian, ranked 115th in the world, will play the 3rd round against the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who made her debut this Thursday in this edition of the tournament she lifted in 2021. The world number two, one of the big favorites for everything, started with a 6-4, 6-3 victory in 1h23 on the Romanian Sorana Cirstea. Sabalenka, finalist last week in Stuttgart, claimed the five break points she had to ensure comfortable access to the third phase.

There was no room for bells in the duel between Caroline Garcia and Yulia Putintseva. The Frenchman, fifth favorite in the standings, comfortably beat the Kazakh 6-3 and 6-4 in 1h36. The winner of the last WTA finals awaits the Egyptian Mayar Sherif in the third round, executioner today of the Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina (30th seed) in two sets. There was also no scare in the match between Jelena Ostapenko and Linda Fruhvirtova. The 19th-seeded Latvian beat the 17-year-old Czech 6-0 6-3 in 62 minutes to reach the third round in Madrid for the first time. Ostapenko, winner of Roland Garros 2017, has only three victories in six Caja Mágica appearances, and will have a tough test on Saturday: the Russian Liudmila Samsonova, 14th favorite, who swept the Belgian Maryna Zanevska 6-2, 6-3 in 1h27.