Mirra Andreeva put on a punishing display of aggressive tennis as she ousted Emma Navarro in an eagerly-awaited Cincinnati Open first-round clash.
Navarro, who has shot up the rankings after a stellar season, came unstuck by a dominant Andreeva as she fell to a 6-2 6-2 defeat.
The 17-year-old is also forging a name for herself on the WTA Tour this year, having reached the semi-finals of the French Open, only to return to Paris two months later to claim a silver medal in the Olympics alongside Diana Schnaider.
After a long stint on the European clay and grass courts, Andreeva is arriving in Cincinnati in a bid to fuel up before the US Open.
Mirra Andreeva is adjusting to the courts at the Cincinnati Open
Andreeva, who is one of the tour’s finest prospects, has claimed to have found it hard adjusting to the quick courts.
Following her victory over Emma Navarro at the Cincinnati Open, the teen sensation elaborated on her preferred surface and what it took for her to get over the line against the in-form American.
“I would say clay [is my best surface],” Andreeva told Tennis Channel. “Honestly, I still struggle with the hard courts, especially when it’s fast like this.
“That’s why I came in advance, like four or five days before, to adjust to the courts.
“Honestly, when I first arrived, it was terrible – I played so bad. But after, I kept going and kept practicing and, of course, I adjusted to the courts and now I feel very good, especially on the center court.”
Andreeva is capable of causing a stir at the US Open
Andreeva is a fiery talent that can pose a threat to any woman who sits near her in a draw sheet.
The Russian has already recorded three top-10 wins this year, coming against Ons Jabeur, Marketa Vondrousova, and Aryna Sabalenka.
So, if she can adapt to the pace of court in America, which is not her favored surface, Andreeva will fancy her chances of making a charge into the second week of the upcoming US Open.
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