Mirra Andreeva slapped with a big fine after altercation with umpire and unsportsmanlike conduct following Wimbledon exit

This was not the first incident in her budding career where the teenager courted trouble on court.

Mirra Andreeva slapped with a big fine after altercation with umpire and unsportsmanlike conduct following Wimbledon exit

Mirra Andreeva (Image Courtesy: TennisWorld USA)

Mirra Andreeva, the 16-year-old tennis sensation, has been making waves over the past couple of months for her prodigious talent. Her on-court outbursts have also drawn attention, but to a lesser degree. The Russian was reprimanded with a fine of $8,000 (£6,190) for two separate incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct during her Wimbledon Round of 16 defeat to American Madison Keys.

The World No. 102, Mirra Andreeva, looked in firm control over her match against 28-year-old Madison Keys. She wrapped up the first set comfortably, and was just three points away from securing a passage to the quarter-finals. However, the youngster let her emotions get the better of her as she slammed her racket in frustration during the second set tiebreaker, following which she was given a prompt warning by the chair umpire, Julie Kjendlie.

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Having lost the second set in a tight tiebreaker, Andreeva lost her mojo as she literally and figuratively slipped in the deciding set. Trailing 2-5, the youngster took a tumble on the court, and in the melee, lost her balance and seemed to toss her racket, albeit without much force. The chair umpire took note of it and docked Andreeva a point for “code violation and unsportsmanlike conduct.”

Unwilling to accept the decision of the chair umpire, Mirra Andreeva marched toward the net to lodge her vehement protest against the umpire’s decision to dock her a point at a critical juncture of the match. The Russian stressed that she slipped and lost control of her racket and that she did not intend to smash it.

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Mirra Andreeva stormed out of the Court following her Wimbledon R16 defeat

Mirra Andreeva
Mirra Andreeva (Image Courtesy: Getty Images)

The match didn’t last long after this incident, and the 25th seed, Keys, sealed the match 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2. Andreeva, still fuming over the point penalty, gave Keys a cold and brief handshake, and walked away without even acknowledging the chair umpire. The 16-year-old justified her actions after the match, saying that she did not think the umpire had made the right decision and that was why she did not want to shake hands with the official.

This was not the first incident in her budding career where the teenager courted trouble on court. At the French Open last month, Andreeva struck a tennis ball into the crowd in frustration, risking automatic disqualification. Touted to be a superstar in the making, the youngster needs to learn to control her temper if she wants to make it big in the world of tennis.

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