Tennis teen sensation Mirra Andreeva has credited Andy Murray with her age-defying run of form.
The 16-year-old, who came through French Open qualifying without dropping a set, booked her place in the second round at Roland Garros on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Alison Riske-Amirtraj.
Andreeva had made a name for herself in beating two seeds during the Madrid Open earlier this month in which she had a humorous exchange with Murray.
Following her first win in the main draw in Paris, she said: “I didn’t see Andy Murray since Madrid because he is not here but, after he won a challenger, I texted him.
“I said ‘congratulations’. He actually answered me so I was really happy about it. He said, ‘thank you and good luck in Roland Garros’. Maybe that’s what I’m playing that good now!”
The Russian teenager has been a star of the junior rankings, reaching the final of the Australian Open juniors at the start of the year.
She raised eyebrows in winning two ITF events as well as her run in Madrid in which she revealed herself to be a Murray fan.
“When you sit here and take in all the stars you see, like Andy Murray, you see his face,” she said. “He is so beautiful in life. Sorry, he is so amazing.”
In response on social media, Murray quipped: “Imagine how good she’s going to be when she gets her eyes fixed.”
