Mirra Andreeva made a winning start at the 2024 Brisbane International despite not being happy with her preparation ahead of the new season.
Andreeva spent quite a bit of time in Abu Dhabi for the World Tennis League and got used to the conditions there. The courts play quite differently to those in Brisbane, slower as opposed to these fast ones so practicing wasn't that great for her.
While she's been in Australia for a week and practiced a few days, Andreeva was quite nervous heading into the match because she felt the preparation wasn't that great. She was also facing a player she knew really well, so there were familiarity worries as well.
Honestly, I was very, very nervous before this match because I know Diana for a long time. Erika played with her on a team, so I know her very well. So I was super happy to get the win today.
In the end, she played a really strong match and won comfortably in two sets and 75 minutes. After the match, Andreeva admitted that she didn't have enough time to properly prepare, but it went well, and she's quite happy about it.
I tried to stay low in my legs because the courts really fast compared to Abu Dhabi where I practiced before. So the first few days were not the best for me, but I tried to do my best. Today, I'm really happy with my level.
A lot is expected from Andreeva in the new season because she's arguably the biggest talent in tennis right now. We haven't quite seen this since Coco Gauff, and it's been a while since she was a teenager beating seasoned professionals.
I felt like I didn't have enough time to prepare for this season, but for me it's okay. If I didn't have time to work really hard, I'm not sad. Maybe next time I will try to have a longer pre-season, but this time it's okay.
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