Mirra Andreeva advanced to the Madrid Open final, defeating Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 7-6.
The match was tighter than the score suggested, with Baptiste saving a match point in the second-set tie-break.
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Andreeva kept her cool in the tiebreak, winning 10-8 and reaching the final for the first time in Madrid.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Andreeva explained what she told herself during the crucial moments of her semi-final victory.
Andreeva says Baptiste will need to ‘do something extraordinary’ to beat her
Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images
“Honestly, I’m very happy that I was able to stay calm and focused even though I had a few chances to end the match without a tiebreak,” Andreeva said.
“When that didn’t happen, I just told myself that if she was going to win the second set, she was going to have to do something extraordinary because I wasn’t going to let her win those points.”
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She continued: “I felt like she got braver towards the end of the set. I got a bit more nervous too. I’m glad I was able to force myself to play bravely and really work hard on my serve and groundstrokes so I had a better chance of finishing the match.”
Andreeva’s serve played a crucial role at critical moments, especially in the tiebreak. She talked about the impact it had on her game in her post-match interview.
“I think having so many free points is helpful,” Andreeva explained.
“At some point, I thought there were at least a couple of games where I didn’t miss my first serve. And then obviously, when I thought about that, I immediately started missing them!
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“so, [I] I really try not to think about it or look at the statistics because when you know you’re hitting well, you tend to hit less on your first serve for some reason. “
Baptiste’s athleticism was on full display throughout the match and there was no shame in losing to such an impressive player who delivered quality tennis throughout.
Naomi Brody praises Mila Andreeva’s mindset after recent outburst
Andreeva said she was not a “champ” after losing the lead against Anna Bondar in the fourth round in Madrid.
This mentality was tested again in the semifinals, especially after a controversial call in the first set.
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“[Mirra] Andreeva, it’s about emotions; they are not there today, or they are there in the best possible way,” she said.
Former British tennis player Naomi Brodie talked about how Andreeva controlled her emotions during matches.
“We talk about these emotions as if it’s a negative emotion, but today she channeled them, she used them to show courage, to fight, and then unleashed them at the end.
“I’m sure it’s going to be a more interesting fight than the other fights where she was completely emotionally out of control.
“There was an opportunity at the beginning to get back to that ball mark but she didn’t agree to it but she probably lost it there; it was close but she didn’t. She kept it to herself.
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“So I think the conversation is less about how good that is and more about what you can do, what you did, let’s do it again and go from there.”
Mira Andreeva plans to celebrate her 19th birthday after Madrid Open
Mirra Andreeva turned 19 during the Madrid Open but decided to postpone any major celebrations until after the tournament.
“We did a little celebration yesterday in the restaurant, but I didn’t really allow myself to have a soda!” she said.
“I had a soda and a little cake but I think we’ll have a bigger celebration later, maybe after Rome or before.
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“I will celebrate, but maybe a little later.”
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