Tennis
Andreeva flies through the net at the Australian Open. The Russian woman is only four steps away from the title!
Mirra faced Svitolina in the 1/8 finals of the Australian Open.
Mirra Andreeva at the Australian Open 2026 continues to confidently move through the tournament bracket to the delight of the fans. Her game doesn’t feel like she’s trying to win a match in one stretch—it’s all about details, patience, and cool-headed decisions. The Russian approached the third round of the tournament as one of the most stable tennis players of the first week, and she maintained this rhythm, making it to the 1/8 finals.
Who did Andreeva go through before the match with Ruse?
Mirra began her journey in Melbourne with a difficult test in the person of Donna Vekic. The Croatian managed to impose a fight, took the first set and regularly clung to the rallies at the reception. Andreeva had to do a lot of legwork, endure long exchanges and find a balance between aggression and reliability. Gradually, the Russian became more accurate in key plays and turned the tide of the match – 4:6, 6:3, 6:0 in 1 hour 54 minutes. An exhibition match, where much was decided not by blows, but by the ability to wait for a mistake.
In the second round, Andreeva met with Maria Sakkari, and here the scenario was completely different. The Russian immediately set a high pace, depriving the Greek of time to make decisions. The first set ended with a bang, and in the second, Mirra did not break down after an unsuccessful start and ended the match in her favor – 6:0, 6:4. The entire meeting took place in 1 hour 8 minutes and became a good opportunity for Andreeva to save energy before the third round.
How did the match against Elena Gabriela Ruse turn out?
The fight with Ruse started far from ideally for Andreeva. Already in the first game, the Russian had to win back a break point, and in the third she had to fight off three break points at once. The Romanian actively moved forward, tried to load Mirra in depth and did not allow her to calmly enter into rallies. Despite this, the score remained in Andreeva’s favor – 2:1, although the tension was felt both on the court and in the athlete’s box.
The turning point in the first set occurred in the sixth game. Andreeva noticeably improved her technique, began to meet the ball earlier and scored a break on the first try – 4:2. This segment allowed her to take the game in a more convenient direction. Ruse continued to cling, but without the same sharpness. In 44 minutes, Mirra closed the set – 6:3, acting carefully and without sudden failures.
The second game was like a swing. In the third game, Andreeva made a break and led 2:1, but Ruse immediately responded – 2:2. Then the situation was repeated several times: the Russian took the lead, winning the game on someone else’s serve, the Romanian responded with a break and returned to the fight.
In this nervous series, Andreeva looked more collected: she did not speed up the game unnecessarily, played more in the center and patiently waited for her chance. After another break, the score became 4:3 in her favor, and this moment became key.
Then Mirra collected herself, confidently worked the game on her serve, and then calmly served for the match with the score 5:4. With a very good performance from her opponent, Mirra managed to finish the match in two games, maintaining her strength and nerves. During the match, she served straight once, made three double faults and converted four out of seven break points, which became the decisive factor in such a nervous match.
Mirra Andreeva will play Elina Svitolina in the 1/8 finals of the Australian Open. The Ukrainian knocked out Diana Schneider in her match and approached this round in good game shape. For Andreeva, this will be the most serious test in the tournament at the moment – a match with an experienced opponent, where endurance, accuracy and the ability to play long rallies will decide a lot. At stake is a place in the quarter-finals and another step forward in the Melbourne bracket.
Source: Sportbox
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