16-year-old Mirra Andreeva received one of the biggest compliments in her nascent career when 3-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray raved about her mental strength after the Russian star fought back from 1-5 down in the deciding set against Diane Parry in the third round of Australian Open 2024 on Friday, January 19. On Court 4, Mirra Andreeva produced a comeback for the ages as she saved a match point at 2-5 before sealing a 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory to progress to the fourth round of the Grand Slam tournament.
Mirra Andreeva did not hold back her emotions as she was hard on herself when she was trailing early in the 3rd set after having comprehensively overturned a first-set deficit. Andreeva, who stunned Ons Jabeur earlier in Melbourne, channelised her energy toward bouncing back and she did so in stye. Andreeva, who became only the 4th woman to make it to the second week of Wimbledon and Australia as a teenager, let out a huge roar after she won the third-round match in two hours and 23 minutes.
Legendary Andy Murray, who is known for his mental toughness, took to X, formerly Twitter, to laud Mirra Andreeva’s mental strength and the teenager was thrilled to hear about it when she spoke to the press in Melbourne.
Mirra Andreeva said she would frame the tweet and hang it on her wall, expressing her delight over getting such a compliment from Andy Murray.
“I didn’t really think that he (Murray) would watch a match, then after he would tweet, he would comment something,” Mirra Andreeva said.
“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.”
HOW MIRRA ANDREEVA PRODUCED THE COMEBACK
The young Russian faced a daunting challenge against France’s Diane Parry, finding herself trailing 1-6, 5-1 in the decisive set. The match appeared on the brink of conclusion, with Andreeva confronting a pivotal match point that threatened to shatter her aspirations of progressing further in the tournament.
Refusing to yield to defeat, Andreeva showcased mental fortitude well beyond her years. She initiated an impressive fightback, securing five consecutive games to overturn the deficit. Her tenacity was prominently displayed as she thwarted the match point with a forced forehand error from Parry, accompanied by a sequence of backhand winners that kept her in the running. Parry, succumbing to the mounting pressure, expressed her frustration and received a code violation for racquet abuse.
The culmination of the match unfolded in a tense tie-breaker, where Andreeva continued to exhibit remarkable composure and skill. She clinched the victory with a final score of 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-5), completing what many have hailed as the comeback of the tournament. This triumph not only propelled Andreeva into the fourth round but also solidified her standing as one of the most promising young talents in the sport.
