Seventh seed Mirra Andreeva needed to demonstrate her best patience to overcome Magdalena Frech`s challenge, securing a 7-5, 6-3 victory and returning to the Mutua Madrid Open`s last 16 for the third consecutive year.
Andreeva holds an impressive record in Madrid, never having been eliminated before the fourth round. Her remarkable run began in 2023 as a 15-year-old wildcard ranked No. 312, where she reached this stage in just her second WTA main draw, immediately drawing significant attention. The following year, she advanced even further, reaching her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal at this event. By defeating world No. 27 Frech for the second time (the first was a memorable three-setter at the Australian Open), Andreeva successfully maintained her consistent performance level in the Spanish capital.
Similar to their previous encounter in the Australian Open third round (a 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 win for Andreeva), this match was a hard-fought battle that truly tested Andreeva`s ability to maintain composure. At times, particularly in the opening set, the 17-year-old showed visible frustration in the face of Frech`s tenacious defense and retrieval skills. However, Andreeva proved capable of quickly bouncing back from setbacks and closed out the match in 1 hour and 41 minutes.
In her post-match interview on court, Andreeva admitted, “I was very, very nervous. I still struggle to find my best tennis in Madrid. [But I`m] super happy that I could manage to play consistent throughout the whole match.”
In the fourth round, Andreeva is set to face either 18th seed Liudmila Samsonova or qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth