Mirra Andreeva accused of ‘purposely making mistakes’ by former No1 | Tennis | Sport

Mirra Andreeva has been accused of ‘purposely making mistakes’ by former world no.1 Dinara Safina. Andreeva fell to a three-set defeat to Victoria Mboko at the Miami Open on Monday.

The match was disrupted in just the third game of the first set, due to a problem with the net. Both Andreeva and Mboko were forced to wait for eight minutes while the problem was fixed.

The loss comes just a matter of weeks after Andreeva visibly showed her frustration and anger during her third-round loss at Indian Wells to Katerina Siniakova. The Russian appeared to aim an X-rated shout at the crowd as she made her way off the court.

The incidents have raised questions about the 18-year-old’s mentality. Fellow Russian Safina has now added her own concerns.

Speaking in Russian on the Best Tennis podcast, the former French and Australian Open Champion said: “I was watching the third set and saw Mirra break and win the second set.

“She [Andreeva] called for physio… I basically thought she was about to start a super third set because Mboko was a bit down after losing the second set, but it was a very strange start.

“You know, I was surprised by how lacking that composure was. How composed she was in breaking the second set to win it, and how focused she was in the third set… Correct me if I’m wrong, but sometimes Mirra’s mistakes seem emotional.

“I can’t say she’s doing anything wrong, but she makes mistakes… I get the feeling she’s making mistakes on purpose. That’s how it looks from the outside. I could be wrong, but it feels like after every mistake she wants to turn back to her box and say: ‘Look, see, I made a mistake!’”

She added: “I don’t know what Mirra’s going through right now, of course. I can only guess — she can’t handle the pressure.

“When Anya [Chakvetadze] and I record the podcast, we talk a lot about how players’ desire to quickly reach the top, second, or third rankings in the world, to win a Grand Slam — it’s a colossal burden.

“They might not be able to handle it. You have to be prepared for everything, and when this weight of responsibility hits them, when they start demanding victories and expectations, they immediately say, ‘What are you demanding of us? What do you expect from us?’

“But that’s part of your job, your profession. It’s normal that you have a certain rating, and advertisers, coaches, people, your fans demand or expect results from you.”