Mirra Andreeva survived a chaotic mental and physical battle to defeat Anna Bondar and reach her third consecutive Madrid Open quarterfinal.
In a marathon match lasting nearly three hours, the world No. 10 overcame extreme self-doubt and bizarre environmental distractions to win 6-7,6-3,7-6.
The drama peaked in the final set when Andreeva blew a commanding 5-1 lead.
As the match slipped away, she admitted her mindset shifted toward defeat confessing, “I’m going to lose” and telling herself “I will choke” as Bondar fought back to level the score.
Adding to the tension was a foul odor near the court; Andreeva noted she had to survive a match with a “bullsh*t” smell that disrupted her focus.
Despite the collapse, she held her nerve in a deciding tiebreak to clinch the victory.
Reflecting on her narrow escape, she admitted, “I held a lot of emotions inside of myself,” adding that she felt “relieved when all of that finished.”
The young star, who was in tears of relief after the final point, now moves on to face Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals as she continues her quest for another clay-court title.
