By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, January 12, 2025
Photo credit: Jean Catuffe/Getty
Shrewd court sense makes teenager Mirra Andreeva a major threat.
These days, Andreeva aims to continue her forward march looking back to an all-court artist.
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Roland Garros semifinalist Andreeva showed ambitious attack sweeping Marie Bouzkova 6-3, 6-3 to roll into the Australian Open second round.
A year ago, Andreeva knocked off Ons Jabeur en route to the AO fourth round in her tournament debut. She returns to Melbourne this year ranked No. 15 and pushing toward a Top 10 breakthrough.
The 17-year-old Andreeva is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, but cites another Grand Slam champion as her tennis role model: Martina Hingis.
Hall of Famer Hingis captured three consecutive Australian Open championships from 1997-1999.
The Swiss Miss’ skill playing off the front foot and closing at net have inspired Andreeva to sharpen her net skills.
Today, Andreeva won 14 of 21 trips to net and sometimes used her precise return game to set up net rushes. Andreeva, who like Hingis owns a lethal two-handed backhand, won 11 of 15 points played on the Bouzkova second serve.
Andreeva sees Hingis as stylistic soul sister.
“I always like the way Martina Hingis was playing. I have seen some similarities, I would say,” Andreeva said. “She’s also playing smart. I would say she played smart and I’m also playing smart as her.
“I’m trying to, you know, play smart, but I think that the difference is that she was never afraid to, you know, come in and finish the point and be more aggressive.”
Andreeva, who is quick around the court, said she’s learning to use her speed as an offensive weapon and transition to net.
“Now I’m just starting to learn how to do it,” Andreeva said of her efforts to improve net play. “ I’m just, you know, the first matches of the year I’m starting to, I’m trying to force myself to finish the point at the net or to go, to step in the court.”
“I would say that when I watched [Martina Hingis] play, she would always, as soon as she has an opportunity, she would always come in and try to finish the point even more aggressive,” Andreeva said. “And Steffi Graf, I would say that she’s a tricky player with that slice. And she actually plays, I would say, pretty much like Conchita with a slice, and then she would turn around to her forehand. That is a bit different, so I’m not using a lot of slices (smiling). But I can see a bit of similarities with me and Martina Hingis.”
