French Open: Teen Mirra Andreeva defeats Aryna Sabalenka in major upset

PHILIPPE-CHATRIER: Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka faced an unexpected loss in the French Open quarterfinals as she lost in a major upset to 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva in a three-set match on Wednesday.

The world’s number two ranked player endured a 7-6, 4-6, and 4-6 defeat against Andreeva. Despite having previously won against Andreeva easily, the Belarussian struggled as Andreeva capitalised on opportunities to secure her win.

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The Australian Open champion took the lead in the first set with powerful shots. However, Sabalenka’s performance deteriorated as Andreeva’s improved.

In spite of Sabalenka efforts to force a tiebreak, the determined Russian gave it her all, making her opponent physically struggle by the second set.

Andreeva’s victory is extraordinary as she smartly rallied from a set down to secure a hard-fought win against her higher-ranked adversary.

On the clay court, the Russian showed raw talent and ability to handle pressure. Andreeva’s achievement is particularly important due to her age. She has become the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist since 1997. The 17-year-old Russian has left a mark on tennis history already.

Andreeva attributed her success to her mental strength and strategic game plan.

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In the upcoming Roland Garros semifinals, Andreeva will meet Jasmine Paolini, another up and coming talent in tennis who has surpassed expectations with her recent performance.