LONDON (AP) — Mirra Andreeva was the last person on Centre Court to realize she beat Emma Navarro on Monday, a result that made her the youngest woman in 18 years to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Andreeva was so focused on not thinking about the score — and avoiding looking at Roger Federer — that the 18-year-old Russian didn't grasp that the fourth-round match was over when Navarro netted a forehand.
So instead of celebrating a 6-2, 6-3 win, the seventh-seeded Andreeva calmly turned back to her baseline and started fiddling with her racket, seemingly getting ready for the next point.
It wasn't until she noticed the reaction from the crowd — and coach Conchita Martinez celebrating — that it dawned on her she won.
“Honestly, I just kept telling myself that I’m facing break points. I tried to tell myself that I’m not the one who is up on the score, I’m the one who is down," Andreeva said in an on-court interview. “In the end I completely forgot the score. I’m happy that I did it because I think that (otherwise) I would be three times more nervous on the match point.”
Andreeva became the youngest player since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007 to reach the women's quarterfinals at the grass-court Grand Slam.
The score wasn't the only thing Andreeva tried to ignore. She was also afraid to look up at the Royal Box, where eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer was sitting with his wife Mirka.
“I really tried my best not to look over there in the box, because I knew that as soon as I would look there I would just completely lose my focus,” she said, before addressing the couple directly. “Honestly, it means a lot to me that you came and watched my match. It’s been one of my dreams to see you in real life. So when I saw both of you I got really, really nervous."
The No. 10-seeded Navarro beat defending champion Barbora Krejcikova in the previous round, ensuring there will be yet another first-time champion. It will be the ninth different women’s champion in the past nine Wimbledons. Serena Williams was the last repeat champ in 2016.
Andreeva will next face Belinda Bencic, who also reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal — 11 years after making her debut at the All England Club. Bencic beat 18th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (4), 6-4 earlier on No. 1 Court.
Bencic, who lost in the fourth round on three previous occasions, failed to convert five match points while serving at 5-3 in the second set. But on the sixth one, Alexandrova sent a forehand long.
“For you guys it was entertaining,” Bencic said about that marathon game at 5-3, where Alexandrova finally converted her fourth break point to stay in the match. “For me it was a big stress.”
Bencic's best result at a Grand Slam was reaching the semifinals at the 2019 U.S. Open, where she also reached the quarters on two other occasions. The Tokyo Olympic champion, playing at Wimbledon for the ninth time, had not been into the last eight at any of the other three majors, until now.
Bencic missed last year's grass-court Grand Slam tournament while she was on maternity leave, having given birth to her first child — a daughter named Bella — in April 2024.
She said traveling with a child on tour is still relatively easy while Bella is so young, but that she's spending a lot more time taking pictures when she's at tournaments.
“I’m juggling it like every mom does,” Bencic said. “So, props to the moms.”
Also, No. 19 Liudmila Samsonova reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by beating Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-5, 7-5 on No. 2 Court.
Samsonova has yet to drop a set this tournament and will face No. 8 Iga Swiatek, who reached her second Wimbledon quarterfinal by beating Clara Tauson 6-4, 6-1.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Mattias Karén, The Associated Press
