Wimbledon: I was out of breath almost every point, says teenager Mirra Andreeva after advancing to Round 4

By India Today Sports Desk: 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva said that she is learning the art of controlling her emotions and trying to stay calm on court. On Sunday, July 9, the Russian made her way through to the Wimbledon 2023 Round 4 after beating No.22 seed Anastasia Potapova in straight sets 6-2, 7-5.

It also happened to be the first time that Andreeva advanced to the Round 4 of a Grand Slam. She will next be up against Madison Keys in the fourth round match.

Potapova won four games in a row in the second set and also had two set points before Andreeva staged a comeback. After beating Potapova, Andreeva said that she strained every sinew to get the better of her opponent.

“I’ve been working on that really hard with my coaches, with my parents. We talked a lot and now I know how it’s easier or better for me to control my emotions on the court, to always stay calm. But today, honestly, even if I wanted to show some emotions, I honestly couldn’t because I was out of breath at almost every point. So I really couldn’t show any emotions,” Andreeva said after the match.

“I’m really happy that I managed to win this match. It was an amazing battle. She played really well. Congratulations to her and her team because they did a good job here. I did everything I could. I gave it all here. I came back from 1-4 in the 2nd set. So, of course, I feel great,” she added.

Three players have gone on to advance to the Round 3 of Grand Slams this year after taking part in the Qualifiers. But Andreeva became the only one to advance to the fourth round. She also became the youngest woman after Coco Gauff to qualify for the Wimbledon Round 4 since 2019.