Madrid Open: Mirra Andreeva downs Jasmine Paolini, seals OFs spot

Andreeva will face either defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or No.15 Danielle Collins for a semifinal berth.

Mirra Andreeva, the newly-turned 17-year-old phenom, registered a fine comeback to defeat 12th seed Jasmine Paolini 7-6(2), 6-4 in the Round of 16 of the ongoing Madrid Open on Monday. Andreeva will face either defending champion Aryna Sabalenka or No.15 Danielle Collins for a semifinal berth.

Andreeva found it difficult to hold her serve in the early going when facing Paolini. Paolini, who had defeated Caroline Garcia in a straight-set match the previous round, broke Andreeva in her opening three service games to take a 5-2 lead. But Andreeva steadily altered the tide of the match, saving one set point to force a 5-3 tie.

She corrected her mistakes and capitalized on the Italian's collapse. After winning a close deuce game to send the set into a tiebreak, Andreeva sprinted off to finish her comeback. There was almost a reverse in the second set. Andreeva was up 4-0 with a point for 5-0, but as the match got closer, the teenager flinched this time.

At 5-4, Paolini attempted to put the set back on serve, but she was unable to sustain the pressure needed to make a comeback. Paolini sent a forehand that was barely long of the baseline, giving Andreeva her first match point break of serve. Andreeva defeated Paolini for the third time in a row, her second victory this week over a player ranked in the top 15.

Andreeva has defeated No. 29 seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, No. 7 and current Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova, and Paolini after upsetting No. 58 Taylor Townsend in the opening round. (ANI)

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