Mirra Andreeva’s attempt to defend her Indian Wells title ended in a loss, with the player showing her frustration after the match.
Andreeva walked out of Stadium 1 appearing to say “f— you all, f— you all,” to either her box or the spectators, some of whom booed her off.
Siniaková Stuns Andreeva
Kateřina Siniaková defeated Andreeva 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, sending Andreeva home from the Coachella Valley.
Andreeva acknowledged her disappointment in her behaviour. “I’m not really proud of how I managed it. I’m not really proud of how I handled it in the end,” Andreeva said in a news conference.
“Those are the things that really need to work on soon. I don’t know. Not in the future but whenever I get the chance.”
Pressure Takes Its Toll
The pressure of defending her title appeared to contribute to Andreeva’s performance against Siniaková.
Andreeva showed resilience by recovering from a 0-3, double-break deficit in the first set to win it 6-4. However, the expectations of being a favourite seemed to overwhelm her, particularly in a tight match against Siniaková.
During the second set, which lasted 72 minutes, Andreeva recovered from being broken at 4-4 by breaking Siniaková to love in the subsequent game.
In the tiebreak, the players exchanged mini-breaks before Andreeva missed a swing volley on top of the net with Siniaková holding set point. She flung her racket to the ground before smashing it during the changeover and asking her team, including coach Conchita Martinez, to leave the court.
Aggression Surges Late
The third set mirrored the second, with exchanges of breaks before Siniaková gained another.
Andreeva’s aggressive tennis resurfaced as Siniaková served for the match. She hammered her groundstrokes, changed direction, and shot for the lines, finding her mark.
Released from the pressure she had felt for most of the match as its possible end drew near, Andreeva could play the kind of tennis that carried her to the winner’s podium a year ago, in a stunning win against Aryna Sabalenka.
Andreeva is 18, and has all the time she could possibly need to address how she manages tight losses against players up and down the rankings, which have as of late brought self-flagellation, tears and racket smashes.