World number 6 Ons Jabeur faced a straight sets defeat in the 2024 Australian Open as she was knocked out by the Russian teen sensation Mirra Andreeva. The 16-year-old Andreeva achieved a significant milestone in her emerging career by defeating Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, in the second round. Andreeva secured her first-ever top-10 victory with a commanding 6-0, 6-2 win.
Andreeva displayed remarkable composure beyond her years, particularly in a stunning 20-minute opening set. Despite facing an accomplished player like Jabeur, whom she admires as an "idol," Andreeva delivered a nerveless performance, marking a noteworthy achievement in her budding tennis journey.
While former champion Caroline Wozniacki suffered a defeat in the second round against Qualifier Maria Timofeeva.
From the very beginning of the match, the Russian player dominated, delivering seven winners with just three unforced errors over six games. In contrast, Jabeur appeared visibly unsettled, accumulating a disappointing 10 mistakes while managing only four winners. This defeat marks Jabeur's second consecutive elimination in the second round of the Australian Open.
Wozniacki 'S Early Exit
On the other hand, former world number 1 and 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki faced elimination in the second round at the hands of Timofeeva. After losing the initial set, the 20-year-old Timofeeva staged a comeback, winning the next two sets to secure a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over the former champion. The match extended for 2 hours and 21 minutes.
In her post-match statement, Timofeeva expressed the honour she felt in playing against Wozniacki after her victory. "I'm really a bit speechless now. It was an honour for me to play here against Caroline today. Honestly I was going [into] the match without any expectations, just to show what I'm capable of and see how the match goes, and it was really great. I enjoyed every second of it," said Timofeeva in the on-court interview.
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