MELBOURNE, Jan 17, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Russian 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva
played "amazing" tennis to crush sixth seed Ons Jabeur in under an hour
Wednesday, sending the Tunisian tumbling out of the Australian Open in the
second round.

Playing her first tournament at Melbourne Park, Andreeva was electric in
downing the three-time major runner-up 6-0, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena in just 54
minutes.

Ranked 47, it was her first win over a top-10 player, having burst onto the
scene when she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year as a
qualifier.

"I was really nervous before the match because I am really inspired by Ons
and the way she plays," said Andreeva. "Before I started to play on the WTA
tour I always watched her matches.

"In the first set I showed amazing tennis, I honestly didn't expect that from
myself,: she added.

"I just wanted to play on this big court for the second time and just to
enjoy the tennis and the time, and I did."

Andreeva played on centre court last year when she made the girls final,
losing to fellow Russian Alina Korneeva.

"I feel like I am a bit more mature than I was before. Over this year I think
I have changed a lot of and I think you can see that on the court," she said

The first set was a 20-minute demolition job with 29-year-old Jabuer
completely out of touch.

She won only eight points across the six games, and just three from the
baseline, while making 10 unforced errors.

Her serve was not firing, with only 38 percent of first serve points won and
just 13 percent on second serve.

Jabeur, who made the final twice at Wimbledon and once at the US Open,
finally held serve to get off the mark in the opening game of set two,
raising her finger in the air in celebration.

But the teenage Russian kept coming and broke again for a 2-1, then 4-1 as
Jabeur's shoulders slumped, knowing it was all over.

Andreeva made her Grand Slam bow at the French Open last year with a run to
the third round after coming through qualifying, ahead of her exploits at
Wimbledon.

In her only other Grand Slam, she lost in the second round of the US Open to
eventual champion Coco Gauuf.

The younger sister of fellow professional tennis player Erika Andreeva, she
warmed up for Melbourne by making her first WTA Tour quarter-final at the
Brisbane International.