It was a day for the next generation in women's tennis to shine on Jan 17, as sixth seed Ons Jabeur and former champion Caroline Wozniacki fell victim to exciting young Russians in the Australian Open second round.
The veteran pair were no match for Mirra Andreeva and Maria Timofeeva, who emphatically stamped their mark on 2024's opening Grand Slam, which was marred by rain on Day 4.
Andreeva, just 16, was in scintillating form to take down 29-yearold three-time Major runner-up Jabeur 6-0, 6-2 under the closed roof on Rod Laver Arena in just 54 minutes.
"Probably it was the best match (ever)," said the Russian, a schoolgirl who burst onto the scene when she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2023 as a qualifier.
"The first set, I didn't expect that I would play this good. Second set was also not bad. It was an amazing match. But I was really nervous before the match, and I saw that she was nervous too. It kind of helped me, because I know I'm not the only one who is nervous.
Denne historien er fra January 18, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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Denne historien er fra January 18, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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