Last Updated:
Mirra Andreeva hurled profanities at the crowd after losing to Katerina Siniakova at Indian Wells.
Mirra Andreeva reacts after being booed by crowd. (AFP Photo)
After failing to defend her title at Indian Wells on Monday, Mirra Andreeva vented her frustration at the crowd in a bad-tempered finish to her disappointing performance in the third round. Katerina Siniakova stunned the talented Russian teenager with a 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 victory.
Despite starting her title defense impressively with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Solana Sierra, the 18-year-old Andreeva faced a rollercoaster match against the 44th-ranked Siniakova. The contest ended frustratingly for Andreeva when a shot from Siniakova hit the net cord and dribbled over.
Andreeva threw her racquet as she approached the net and left the court with a defiant gesture at the crowd.
“I’m not really proud of how I managed it,” said Andreeva, explaining that her profanities, picked up by courtside microphones, weren’t directed at the fans. “It was just anger coming out, just a lot of emotions,” she said. “Not really towards anyone.”
Siniakova, a former doubles number one, admitted it was an awkward way to seal the win in a match that featured seven service breaks for each player and 43 break chances between them.
“Of course I’m happy (the ball) went on the other side,” she said. “I was, like, should I cheer? It’s a really tricky finish. But definitely I will not say I’m not happy.”
Siniakova noted that the swirling winds on Stadium Court troubled both players.
Andreeva’s emotions had already boiled over when she missed a swinging volley long, surrendering the second set. During the second set, both players had remarks for the chair umpire about their opponent.
Andreeva regrouped to break Siniakova for a 3-2 lead in the third set, but Siniakova won the next four games, saving two break points in the final game before securing the win on her first match point.
Siniakova will face Elina Svitolina for a place in the quarter-finals after the ninth-seeded Ukrainian beat American Ashlyn Krueger 6-4, 6-2.
There was no drama for world number two Iga Swiatek, who defeated Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-2.
With AFP Inputs
March 10, 2026, 2:57 PM IST
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
