MELBOURNE: In her maiden competition at Melbourne Park, Andreeva defeated the three-time major runner-up 6-0, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena in just 54 minutes.
Ranked 47, it was her first win against a top-10 player after making the fourth round of Wimbledon as a qualifier last year.
“I was really nervous before the match because I am really inspired by Ons and the way she plays,” Andreeva went on to say. “Before I started playing on the WTA tour, I would always watch her matches.
“In the first set, I played incredible tennis; I honestly didn’t expect that from myself,” she added.
Andreeva played center court in last year’s girls final, when she lost to fellow Russian Alina Korneeva. “I feel like I’m more mature than I was before. “I think I’ve changed a lot this year, and I believe you can see that on the court,” she remarked.
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The first set was a 20-minute demolition job that left 29-year-old Jabuer absolutely out of touch. She scored only eight points in six games, three from the baseline, and made 10 unforced errors.
Her serve was underwhelming, with only 38 percent of first serve points won and 13 percent on second serve. Jabeur, who has reached the Wimbledon final twice and once at the US Open, finally held service in the first game of set two, raised her finger in triumph.
But the youthful Russian persisted and broke for 2-1, then 4-1, as Jabeur’s shoulders dropped, knowing it was done. Andreeva made her Grand Slam debut in the French Open last year, reaching the third round after qualifying, ahead of her performance at Wimbledon.
