Russian teen Mirra Andreeva shows her inexperience at Wimbledon as Madison Keys advances

umarkamran August 5, 2024

0 9 2 minutes read

WIMBLEDON, England — After per week of displaying her maturity at her first Wimbledon, 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva confirmed her inexperience on Monday.

The Russian qualifier, who had gained all six of her matches on grass to achieve the fourth spherical on the All England Membership, let a giant lead over Twenty fifth-seeded Madison Keys slip away in a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 loss on No. 2 Court docket.

Andreeva took the primary set and led 3-0 within the second — successful 9 of 10 video games in a single stretch — earlier than Keys turned issues round. Pissed off at one level, Andreeva threw her racket and acquired a warning from Swedish chair umpire Louise Azemar Engzell.

Within the closing sport, Andreeva slipped whereas going for a ball and the racket once more went flying out of her hand.

Engzell docked the Russian some extent for a second thrown racket, giving Keys a match level. Andreeva argued the decision, pleading her case.

“I didn’t throw the racket. I fell,” Andreeva advised Engzell. “I slid after which I fell.”

The decision stood, nevertheless, and Keys then completed off the match to achieve the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the primary time since 2015.

“Popping out right here, you realize that she’s a very nice participant. However you don’t wish to be the participant that loses to her for her to get to her first quarter,” Keys stated on court docket. “I’ve fallen brief a couple of occasions and it’s nice to be again within the quarterfinals right here at Wimbledon.”

Keys has reached the semifinals on the different three Grand Slam tournaments, together with a run to the ultimate on the U.S. Open in 2017, however her solely different quarterfinal look on the All England Membership ended at that stage.

Andreeva, the newest teen sensation in tennis, was the youngest participant within the Wimbledon draw. She was bidding to turn out to be the youngest participant to achieve the Wimbledon quarterfinals since Anna Kournikova in 1997.

Keys will subsequent play both second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka or No. 21 Ekaterina Alexandrova. Sabalenka gained the Australian Open this yr and has a 15-1 file in main tournaments in 2023.

Defending champion Elena Rybakina additionally reached the quarterfinals. She superior when Beatriz Haddad Maia retired from their match with a hip damage with Rybakina main 4-1.

Additionally Monday, seven-time champion Novak Djokovic will resume his fourth-round match in opposition to Hubert Hurkacz on Centre Court docket. Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will then face 2022 finalist Ons Jabeur earlier than top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz performs 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini.