‘It was my dream’, Andreeva starstruck as Federer attends her Wimbledon win

LONDON: Russian tennis star Mirra Andreeva realised a lifelong dream when 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer watched her match from the Royal Box during her Centre Court debut at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

Andreeva just 18 years old, became the youngest player to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals since 2007. She powered past her fourth-round opponent with a commanding performance, using her booming serve, frequently clocked above 110 miles per hour and strong baseline strokes to advance. The rising star will now face Swiss player Belinda Bencic in the next round.

Her performance drew comparisons with compatriot Maria Sharapova, who reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals at the same age 18 years and 62 days, in 2005.

Andreeva now joins a short list of teenagers to reach this stage of the tournament in the last two decades. Despite her youth, Andreeva looked composed on one of tennis’s most iconic courts.

With a light breeze sweeping centre court, she secured an early break with a sharp backhand winner against her 24-year-old opponent, who was aiming to make a second straight quarterfinal appearance at the All England Club.

After the match, Andreeva admitted she had to fight hard to stay focused, especially knowing that Federer was in attendance.

“I tried very hard not to look at the Royal Box. I knew that if I looked there, I would lose focus,” she said.

“Honestly, it means a lot to me that he watched my match. It was my dream to see him in real life. When I saw both of them, I got nervous,” she concluded.