BAD HOMBURG, Germany — Mirra Andreeva faced defeat in her first match post-French Open triumph, as Ekaterina Alexandrova claimed victory in their sole grass-court preparation for Wimbledon on Wednesday.
The two Russian competitors embraced at the net after Alexandrova triumphed over Andreeva, battling both their opponent and the sweltering European heat to secure a 6-3, 6-4 win, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Bad Homburg Open.
In a stunning display during the second set, the 19-year-old French Open champion executed a remarkable table tennis-like shot, infused with so much backspin that it landed on Alexandrova’s side only to bounce back over the net, earning Andreeva a thrilling point.
Next up for Alexandrova is a match against Naomi Osaka at Bad Homburg.
Top-seeded Iga Swiatek also faced an early exit on Wednesday, grappling with her serve in a tight 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 loss to Emma Navarro. Swiatek recorded six double faults in the first set alone. After finishing as runner-up in Nottingham last week, Navarro improved her grass season record to 6-2 and will now compete against Elena Gabriela Ruse in the quarterfinals.
In a surprising turn of events, the tournament’s top three seeds have all been eliminated. Elina Svitolina, seeded third and a quarterfinalist at the French Open, withdrew Wednesday due to fitness concerns following her second-round victory over Liudmila Samsonova.
“It took a little more out of my body than I anticipated, so I need a few extra days to recuperate,” she shared in a video statement.
