Showing her fight 🥊 Mirra Andreeva comes back from a set down to defeat Taylor Townsend 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 and advances into the second round in Madrid. #MMOpen
Mirra ANDREEVA stages spectacular comeback to triumph over Taylor TOWNSEND at Madrid Open
WTAWednesday, 24 April 2024 at 21:47
Mirra Andreeva (No. 43) staged a comeback against Taylor Townsend (No. 58) to win 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 and advance to the second round of the Madrid Open. The Russian aims to replicate her impressive campaign in the tournament in 2023, where she burst onto the global tennis scene by reaching the fourth round in her first WTA 1000 at just 15 years old.
On that occasion, Andreeva grabbed headlines as the new teenage sensation in tennis, defeating former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, the 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, and the 17th seed Magda Linette before falling to the world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
A tough battle for Andreeva
The match didn't start well for the young Russian, who suffered an early break putting the American ahead 2-0. Townsend capitalized on her strong service games to maintain the lead and secured her second break to take a 4-1 advantage.
At that point, Andreeva staged a slight comeback by breaking back, but it wasn't enough to overturn the set, eventually conceding it 4-6. Despite an 80% first-serve percentage, Andreeva struggled with effectiveness, winning only 56% of them and 38% with her second serve.
The second set saw a turnaround in favor of Andreeva, who secured a break in her rival's first service game and surged ahead 3-0. This time, with no issues on her serve, she grabbed another break to level the match with a commanding 6-1 set win in just 32 minutes.
Mirra Andreeva at 2023 Madrid Open
The third set was filled with tension, with both players exchanging breaks early on. Townsend managed to gain an edge in crucial points and secured two consecutive breaks to lead 4-1. It seemed everything was tilting in favor of the American, but Andreeva maintained her fighting spirit until the end and leveled the score at 4-4.
In the final games, Andreeva appeared more assured, taking the initiative in points, and eventually secured a crucial break when it seemed the set would head to a tie-break, closing out the match 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. She will face the 29th seed Linda Noskova in the second round, setting up a showdown between teenagers.
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