No. 5 Mirra Andreeva off to a solid start

In the Wimbledon Ladies' Singles first round, 5th seed Mirra Andreeva took care of business in straight sets against her experienced opponent Magda Linette. The young Russian won the match, played on grass, 7-5, 6-4 to book her place in the second round of the main draw. The contest lasted 1 hour and 43 minutes.

The first set was an even affair. With Linette resisting, breaks of serve came on both sides; but the more composed Andreeva at the key moments took the set 7-5 to go ahead and seize the psychological edge in the match.

The second set was a balanced battle too. Testing her opponent's serve with the pressure she created on return, Andreeva held the break she found at the decisive moments to take the set 6-4 and close the match out in straight sets. The statistics show the two players produced similar numbers, but that Andreeva stood out on break points won and at the key points.

Producing a mature game at top-level tournaments despite her age, this win was an encouraging start on grass for Mirra Andreeva. Near the top of the world rankings, the young player got through the first round of a Grand Slam to keep her bid at the tournament alive. Through to the second round, Andreeva aims to raise her form to a higher level during the grass-court season and to make progress at the tournament. The consistency she showed in this closely contested match is seen as a promising sign for the rounds ahead.

By the numbers (Andreeva-Linette): Score 7-5, 6-4 · Winners 23-22 · Unforced errors 23-24 · Break points won 4/10 - 2/8 · 1st serve points won 68%-61% · 2nd serve points won 44%-50% · Time 1:43

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