Mirra Andreeva has advanced to the Round of 16 at Wimbledon for the second time, where she will go head-to-head with Emma Navarro. Navarro, the 10th seed, made headlines by defeating two-time champion Barbora Krejcikova in a challenging three-set match.
Both Andreeva and Navarro are among the remaining four Top 10 players in the women’s draw. Despite rain interrupting the schedule on Saturday, the 18-year-old Andreeva showcased her prowess on the No. 1 Court, comprehensively defeating American Hailey Baptiste with a score of 6-1, 6-3. This victory marks her sixth progression into the second week of a Grand Slam out of just ten main-draw appearances.
Navarro, after dropping the first set against Krejcikova, staged a remarkable comeback to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. This match was especially significant considering Krejcikova’s struggles with fitness throughout the tournament, having battled through previous three-set matches but ultimately running out of steam against Navarro.
Andreeva continues her impressive run without losing a set so far, having broken Baptiste’s serve five times in their match and delivering a total of 28 winners. “I felt like I was playing great,” Andreeva said post-match, crediting her coach Conchita Martinez for the effective game plan that emphasized focus and patience, while also encouraging her to be aggressive when the opportunity arose.
Andreeva’s achievement is noteworthy as she becomes the youngest player to reach at least the fourth round in each of the season’s first three majors since Nicole Vaidisova in 2006. Meanwhile, Navarro dreams of overcoming her previous defeat to Andreeva in their only meeting last summer, where she lost 6-2, 6-2.
As the tournament progresses, both players exemplify the rising talent in women’s tennis, igniting excitement for their upcoming clash.