Russian tennis prodigy Mirra Andreeva had every chance to go far at a major WTA tournament in Beijing. But the match with Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan became fatal. Mirra was very close to winning, but at some point she lost the thread of the game.

The 16-year-old Russian was two games short of the coveted quarterfinals.

First meeting

In Beijing, Mirra Andreeva started very confidently. Having qualified, in the first round of the main draw the young Russian woman defeated Barbara Krejcikova from the Czech Republic – 6:2, 6:2. Mirra also had no problems with compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – 6:2, 6:1.

Elena Rybakina also went through two rounds without losing a set. In the first round, the Kazakh tennis player beat Zheng Qingwen from China (6:2, 6:1), and in the second round, the German Tatyana Maria (7:5, 6:0).

Before Beijing, Andreeva Jr. and Rybakina had never met in official matches. Elena was considered the favorite, taking into account her experience and rating. However, Mirra could well have brought a surprise.

Believed in victory too early

In the first set, Mirra started right off the bat, making a break on the spot. Her performance left a very pleasant impression. But Elena often made mistakes in defense. Rybakina’s strength and skill were only enough for two games. Mirra won the set with a cool shot into the corner of the court – 6:2.

Mirra Andreeva / Photo: © VCG / Contributor / Visual China Group / Gettyimages.ru

The second game began with an exchange of games, and then Andreeva forced Rybakina to make a mistake and took the lead – 3:2. Having taken the next game to zero, the Russian was as close as possible to a brilliant victory and, alas, believed in it too early. Elena, who was drooping, perked up and began to win back the gap, catching her opponent on the counter move. So 4:2 for Andreeva turned into 4:6.

In the third set, Mirra frankly failed. The long ones saved her throughout the game, but at some point they turned into gifts for Rybakina. Only in the sixth game did the Russian catch on and do everything not to lose the game dry. Elena’s complete advantage put an end to Mirra’s hopes – 1:6.

Growing pains

So far, unfortunately, Andreeva cannot always play smooth games at a high level. She has already had failures in the middle of matches, but this can be attributed to lack of experience. Literally a season or two on the senior tour – and the Russian tennis player, who has phenomenal talent, will learn to avoid slumps during matches.

Rybakina is now preparing for a very serious meeting. Her next opponent will almost certainly be Arina Sabalenka, the first racket of the world. And with it you need to get involved in the game from the very first minutes, otherwise there is a risk of being eliminated long before the final.