At the Australian Open, Russian schoolgirl Mirra Andreeva pulled off the biggest upset of the day, defeating Frenchwoman Diane Parry 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-5) in a match tiebreaker after falling behind 5-1 in the decisive set.
After a poor start that dropped her to a late match point, Andreeva overcame Parry in an exciting match.
Andreeva had won two thrilling matches in a row before shocking her coach, Ons Jabeur, who was ranked sixth, in a straight-set victory.
The only reason Andreeva, a young player with promise, came into the game was to train with Jabeur.
The 16-year-old will compete against either Australian qualifier Storm Hunter or ninth-seeded Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic on Friday night at Rod Laver Arena.
Aryna Sabalenka, the victor of the Australian Open, may have competition from Amanda Anisimova’s driven and creative mind.
After missing six months due to mental health issues, Anisimova shocked the tennis world on Friday by defeating her practice partner and former world No. 2 Paula Badosa in straight sets. Anisimova was the first female player to reach the fourth round.
The former teenage prodigy triumphed 7-5, 6-4 in the third round at John Cain Arena, overcoming a big first-set deficit and early serving errors.
For the third time, the 22-year-old qualified for Melbourne Park’s second week after smashing her personal records from 2022 and 2019.
Anisimova, who reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2022 and the French Open semifinals at the age of 17, asked for a leave of absence in May, citing stress and mental health issues.
The timeout worked as planned.
She remarked, “It’s pretty unbelievable,” about her most recent Open charge.
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“After taking a little break, I feel great, and most importantly, I’m having fun while I’m here.”
I had a fresh perspective on these experiences after relaxing and recharging.
I make an effort to be present. That will be useful to me in the future.
Even after dropping quickly to 442nd in the global rankings, Anisimova is still a danger for Sabalenka in the round of 16.
The world No. 2-rated Belarusian player overcame Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine 6-0, advancing the American woman to the fourth round.
As of the start of the second week, Sabalenka has only suffered six losses. In fifty-two minutes, she was done. She won the other three as well.
“I’m just super-happy with the level I’m playing so far, and hopefully I can just keep going like that, or even better,” she said.
On Sunday, Sabalenka and Anisimova will play for a quarterfinal spot.
Though Sabalenka has a 4-1 record and has defeated the grand slam giant-killer in the Australian and French Opens, the player is not afraid of her. Her target for 2022 is Melbourne’s two-time champion, Naomi Osaka.
“I’m really happy that I was able to get this far, but I can do more,” she said.
Sabalenka is a very strong opponent. She had an amazing year. She is about to go on an incredible performance. That’s why I’m hoping for an amazing match.
With our powerful attacks, fighting is exciting to watch and take part in.
“I’m really looking forward to it.”
Coco Gauff, like Anisimova and Sabalenka, defeated American Alycia Parks 6-0, 6-2 in 61 minutes to go to the round of 16 without dropping a set.
The fourth-seeded Gauff will play the winner of Anastasia Zakharova vs. Magdalena Frech.
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