With Federer Watching, Andreeva Storms Into Quarterfinals

Russian teen star Mirra Andreeva became the youngest player to reach the women’s singles quarterfinals in Wimbledon since 2005, following her 6-2, 6-3 victory over 10th seed Emma Navarro.

The 18-year-old, who is yet to drop a set at the grass-court major this year, will face Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the next round on Wednesday. She is the youngest woman to reach the last eight at Wimbledon since Maria Sharapova in 2005, at the exact same age (18 years and 62 days at the start of the tournament).

Seventh seed Andreeva had special guests in the audience – none other than tennis legend and eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and his wife, Mirka.

The youngster admitted she felt nervous playing on Centre Court as the Federers watched from the Royal Box.

“Honestly, it’s something crazy. I was super nervous playing on Centre Court for the first time,” Andreeva said in her on-court interview.

“I tried not to look over there, in the box, because I knew that as soon as I looked, I would completely lose my focus. I looked at 4-1 and saw Roger and Mirka.”

Addressing them directly, she added:

“Honestly, it means a lot to me that you came and watched my match. It’s been one of my dreams to see you in real life.

“When I saw both of you I got really, really nervous but I’m super happy that I managed to keep focused. Mirka, I just want to say real quick that you look really pretty. I really like your outfit.”

A Funny End

While Monday’s Wimbledon victory was remarkable for Andreeva, who plays with a maturity well beyond her age, the way the contest ended added a touch of humor.

Andreeva won the match when Navarro netted a forehand, but the Russian didn’t realize it. She turned her back to the baseline, preparing for the next point.

It wasn’t until the crowd erupted into applause that Andreeva realized the match was over — with Navarro already waiting at the net for a handshake.

“Honestly, I just kept telling myself that I’m facing break points. I tried to tell myself that I’m not the one who is up on the score, I’m the one who is down,” she recalled.

“In the end, I completely forgot the score. I’m happy that I did it because I think that [otherwise] I would be three times more nervous on the match point.”