By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, January 12, 2025
Photo: Jean Catuffe/Getty
The witty sense of the court makes the teenager Mirra Andreeva a great threat.
These days, Andreeva aims to continue her march forward by turning back to a courthouse artist.
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Roland Garros semifinalist Andreeva showed an ambitious all-out attack Maria Bouzkova 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the Australian Open.
A year ago, Andreeva knocked out Ons Jabeur en route to the fourth round of the AO in her tournament debut. She returns to Melbourne this year ranked 15th and is pushing for a breakthrough into the Top 10.
17-year-old Andreeva is coached by the former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinezbut 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’s ability to play off the front foot and close at the net have inspired Andreeva to sharpen her skills at the net.
Today, Andreeva won 14 of 21 trips to the net and at times used her accurate return game to set up nets. Andreeva, who like Hingis possesses a deadly two-handed backhand, won 11 of 15 points on Bouzkova’s second serve.
Andreeva sees Hingis as a designer soul sister.
“I always liked the way Martina Hingis played. I have seen some similarities, I would say,” said Andreeva. “She’s playing smart, too. I would say she played smart and I’m playing smart like her.
“I’m trying to, you know, play smart, but I think the difference is she was never afraid to, you know, come in and finish the point and be more aggressive.”
Andreeva, who is quick on the court, said she is learning to use her speed as an offensive weapon and get to the net.
“Now I’m just starting to learn how to do it,” Andreeva said of her efforts to improve her net game. “I’m just, you know, the first few games of the year I’m starting, I’m trying to force myself to finish the point at the net or go, get on the court.”
“I would say that when I watched (Martina Hingis) play, she would always, as soon as she had the opportunity, come in and try to finish the point even more aggressively,” Andreeva said. “And Steffi Graf, I’d say she’s a tricky player with that part. And she actually plays, I would say, more or less like Conchita with a slice, and then she would go back to her side. This one is a little different so I’m not using a lot of slices (smiling). But I can see a little resemblance between me and Martina Hingis.”
