Mirra Andreeva certainly didn't end her fourth-round match at the 2023 Wimbledon how she wanted it to end.
After leading 6-3, 4-1, and 40-30 against experienced Madison Keys, the lead started slipping out of the teenager's hands. She lost the second set in a tie-break, and threw her racquet towards her chair after that.
The Russian received a warning for that, but the match carried on as normal. However, in the third and final set of the match, Andreeva wasn't able to produce the same level as before, and after two hours and five minutes, she lost the match 6-3, 6-7(4), 2-6.
Yet, it was the moment in the final game of the match that caught the attention of everyone. The 16-year-old prodigy, who is stunning the tennis world with her performances, slipped and after that, her racquet hit the ground.
It's impossible to say if the racquet flew out of her hand as a direct consequence of losing the balance, or if Andreeva initiated that, however, the umpire's call was very clear. 'Code violation, unsportsmanlike conduct, point penalty, Mirra Andreeva.'
The 16-year-old wasn't happy with that and immediately confronted the umpire, explaining that she simply lost her balance and didn't throw the racquet. However, the umpire, Louise Azemar Engzell, refused to change her decision, and suddenly, the Russian faced a match point.
She wasn't able to turn the match around from there, losing in the very next point. Andreeva was clearly disappointed, and she soon let the umpire know what she thought about her decision, which will be discussed for days to come.
After shaking her opponent's hand, Andreeva stormed directly to her chair, refusing to shake the umpire's hand after what she saw as an incorrect decision. Without a doubt, it was a decision that influenced the match, but only Andreeva will now if she really threw the racquet or if it slipped out of her hand.
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