Mirra Andreeva is a teen who doesn’t like homework, wins simply at French Open

PARIS — Mirra Andreeva is the newest teen sensation in tennis, a 16-year-old Russian who’s the youngest participant to win a match within the ladies’s principal draw at the French Open since 2005.

Do the mathematics: That’s earlier than she was born.

The 143rd-ranked Andreeva made her means by way of qualifying rounds final week with out dropping a set to earn her debut berth within the ladies’s bracket at a Grand Slam match — and she or he nonetheless is making issues look simple to date at Roland Garros. A 6-1, 6-2 victory over Diane Perry of France in 77 minutes on Thursday put her within the third spherical; that adopted a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Alison Riske-Amritraj of the U.S. that lasted 56 minutes.

Next up might be a contest in opposition to 2022 French Open runner-up Coco Gauff, who beat Julia Grabher 6-2, 6-3. Gauff, a 19-year-old American, is seeded No. 6 and made her preliminary breakthrough by beating Venus Williams en path to the fourth spherical at Wimbledon at age 14.

Gauff is one among simply 12 seeded ladies left within the area, the fewest to succeed in the third spherical at Roland Garros because the variety of seeds expanded to 32 in 2002.

Andreeva and Gauff have practiced collectively, however that received’t imply a lot Saturday.

“The practice and the match is different, so I might also play different,” Andreeva stated. “I don’t know. Who knows?”

She’s performed terrifically clear tennis to date, together with making a complete of 15 unforced errors to 38 for Parry and successful 14 of 21 factors that lasted no less than 9 strokes.

“Really solid for her age. She did everything better than me today,” stated the 79th-ranked Parry, who made it to the third spherical at two majors final season. “She doesn’t miss a lot. Like nothing. You never have an easy point. It’s always a long rally.”

Before arriving in Paris, Andreeva confirmed what she will be able to do by eliminating three gamers ranked within the Top 40 on the clay-court Madrid Open.

She was requested Thursday throughout a information convention crammed with one-liners: What’s the key to success at such a younger age?

“Maybe, as my coach says, to not be like a diva. To stay humble all the time,” stated Andreeva, whose older sister, Erika, misplaced within the first spherical at Roland Garros this week.

And then Andreeva demonstrated what she meant by disputing the very premise of the query.

“I don’t think that I have a lot of success now,” she stated, resting her cheek on her proper hand. “I didn’t win any tournaments. I just play.”

Alrighty, then.

Yes, Andreeva has lofty goals. Asked to outline what her goals are in her sport, she talked about that Novak Djokovic has 22 Grand Slam titles.

“So I want to go,” Andreeva stated, “until 25.”

Out of the mouths of babes, eh?

Andreeva is meant to occupy herself with homework for her on-line programs — “Chemistry is so bad,” got here the lament — and a reporter wished to know the way she spends her idle second.

“I don’t have any hobbies. I think I’m like a usual teenager. I love to watch some TV series when I have free time,” Andreeva stated, earlier than providing one among a handful of punch traces over the course of her information convention: “I also have to do my school, but let’s be honest, I don’t do it sometimes.”

Her favourite tennis gamers quantity to a three-way tie amongst Roger Federer (“He’s always been my No. 1”), Rafael Nadal (“I don’t know why, but in my head, everything turned” when Nadal received his 14th championship at Roland Garros final yr) and Djokovic (“I don’t want to offend Novak”).

In the match earlier than Andreeva vs. Perry at Court Simonne Mathieu, one other qualifier made it to the third spherical when Kayla Day, a Californian ranked 138th, knocked out No. 20 Madison Keys 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. Keys, the runner-up on the 2017 U.S. Open and a semifinalist on the 2018 French Open, made 74 unforced errors, 51 greater than Day.

Day, 23, is enjoying in a significant match for the primary time since 2017 after a litany of accidents — she listed a torn thigh muscle, a fractured foot, torn hip labrums and a bout with mononucleosis.

“Every time I tried coming back,” Day stated, “it just felt like something else would happen.”

The exits by seeded ladies continued with Bernarda Pera defeating No. 22 Donna Vekic 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, though No. 1 Iga Swiatek, No. 4 Elena Rybakina and No. 7 Ons Jabeur all superior in straight units.

The males’s bracket noticed the departure of No. 8 Jannik Sinner with a wild 6-7 (0), 7-6 (7), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 loss throughout almost 5 1/2 hours in opposition to 79th-ranked Daniel Altmaier, and No. 18 Alex de Minaur was eradicated by Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3.

No. 4 Casper Ruud, No. 12 Frances Tiafoe and No. 15 Borna Coric all received.

Sinner held two match factors whereas serving for the victory at 5-4 within the fourth set however couldn’t convert both. Altmaier got here all the way in which again to finish issues with a 111 mph ace on his fifth match level.