It took until the first day of the second week to realise that all along Oscar Wilde was right: “The old believe everything; the middle-aged suspect everything; the young know everything.”
So it came to pass 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva, the youngest player in the women’s draw, threw her racquet down the tramline towards her chair at the end of the second set, threw the racquet again, was penalised a point, argued with the chair umpire and, in defeat to American Madison Keys, petulantly stormed off the court in a lather of frustration without shaking the umpire’s hand.
Not for the first time in her burgeoning career has Andreeva’s teen temper flared beyond her capacity to control it. At this year’s French Open she hit a ball into the crowd and feared she would be disqualified but escaped with a warning.
Making her debut at the All England Club, the young Russian, against all odds, carved her way through the draw and looked on course to becoming the youngest player since Anna Kournikova in 1997 to make the quarter-finals when she led against Keys by a set and 4-1 in the second. Quite the performance, as she had never played a match on a grass court until arriving in London for the Wimbledon qualifying tournament.
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But in the end Andreeva did not know everything, least of all how to face adversity in the tennis world’s biggest stressor, and was left seething over the call of the umpire to hand her a penalty point in the third set for a second racquet-throwing offence.
The teenager was running wide to her right to return the ball when she lunged, slipped and the racquet left her hand. The score was 5-2 and the point awarded by the umpire for “throwing” the racquet handed Keys match point. That was the slip/throw moment the smell of teen spirit rose around Court Two.
Losing the set and the match, the youngster left furious with the decision, adamant that she had slipped and had not thrown the racquet purposely.
“Do you understand what you are doing? I didn’t throw the racket. I slid. It’s the wrong decision. I slid and then I fell,” she complained to the umpire as the crowd booed.
The decision stood and Keys won the next point to clinch a 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory, with Andreeva heading to the net to shake hands with her opponent in nirvana but walking straight past the umpire. After the match the tempest had passed and blown out. It was a more measured and almost contrite Andreeva.
“I don’t know which decision was right. She’s the umpire,” said the 16-year-old. “She’s the one who makes the decision. But, honestly, I didn’t have any intention to throw the racquet. I slid. Honestly, I thought that I will fall forward. Maybe it did look like I threw the racquet. I don’t know. I didn’t see any videos yet. But that was her decision to make, so she made this decision. Now that’s it. She made the decision, so the match is over now.”
So, that’s why you didn’t shake hands with her?
“I mean, yes, because for me, she didn’t do a right decision for me. Yes, that’s why I didn’t want to shake hands to her,” she said.
Russian players of the past such as Kournikova and Maria Sharapova made their breakthroughs at Wimbledon. Kournikova never achieved the promise she showed as a junior player, while Sharapova became a Grand Slam champion in all four tournaments as well as the world number one.
“Honestly, when Sharapova won the Wimbledon, I think she was 16 or 17,” said Andreeva. “I’m not sure. I was not born yet, so... I didn’t see this historical moment.” Kids.
There are rules set out governing age in professional tennis, which are geared towards protecting younger players from too much too early. In women’s tennis teenagers between the date of a player’s 16th birthday and the day before her 17th birthday, which is where Andreev is now in her development, can participate in a maximum of 12 professional tournaments. Between the ages of 17 and 18, it rises to 16 professional tournaments and at age 18 they may play in an unlimited number of events.
At the other end of the draw defending champion Elena Rybakina had little more than a 20-minute hit-out against Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, who left Centre Court in tears after she was forced to retire. Enjoying her best run at Wimbledon, never having previously got past the second round, her hopes of a first quarter-final appearance were snatched away when she suffered a hip injury early in the first set.
Following a lengthy medical timeout and trailing 3-1, she tried to carry on but after being unable to move during a Rybakina service game it was clear that she could not continue.
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Having been in tears throughout the last game, she reluctantly walked to the net and shook hands, with the score at 4-1.
It meant that Rybakina’s smooth progress continued and she will now be able to put her feet up to watch Ons Jabeur and Petra Kvitová battle it out for the chance to play her in the quarter-finals. That match went one way. The Tunisian player, continuing her quest for a first Arab Grand Slam, won 6-0, 6-3 against the twice former champion.
