Lindsay Davenport is tipping her hat on Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva for a Grand Slam breakthrough at this year's Australian Open.
Andreeva delivered a stunning performance in the second round of the tournament by knocking out her idol Ons Jabeur in two surprising routine sets, 6-0 and 6-2, to advance into the third round. It was the biggest win of her embryonic career and one that will live long in her memory bank.
The 16-year-old has continuously been punching above her weight since becoming a regular on the main tour, and her opponents are starting to take her seriously. Andreeva has done a commendable job of avoiding outside noise and letting her racket do the talking.
Former WTA No. 1 Davenport has been impressed by what she has seen from the 2023 WTA Newcomer of the Year, whom she has now picked as the most dangerous unseeded player in the draw.
In an interview on Tennis Channel, the American pundit believes there's been a substantial number of upsets in the women's tournament, which has opened up the draw for the 16-year-old who is her pick to emerge from her section unscathed.
Andreeva will play France's Diane Parry in the third round and is the favorite to win her quarter and set up a potential showdown against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the last eight.
"It's pretty wild when you look at the draw just to see how much carnage there is for the seeded players. But a lot of the names we've been talking about all week, you have to put Mirra Andreeva at the top of that list based on not only her form in this tournament but also the draw. There are a lot of opportunities there."
Davenport, who won three Grand Slams during her career, stated that Andreeva is the "real deal" and is backing her to make the Top 10 at some point in her career.
She also explained that onlookers can't predict with certainty when a player is ready for a breakthrough and win a major title, highlighting Coco Gauff's case when she burst onto the scene at 15.
"I think everybody in tennis and the players know she is the real deal. She is coming; She is going to be in the Top 10. She's going to be in the conversation of being a Grand Slam champion. You just never know when the player reaches that point in their own mind. Sometimes, it is this young. Sometimes it might take until 17 or 18."
"Gauff wins a major at 19, but we started talking about her when she was 15. Maybe it is now for Andreeva. Let's wait and see how she follows up her big win after taking out Jabeur so easily."
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