Mirra Andreeva, 16, has been fined $8,000 for two incidents of unsporting behaviour; the teen was first warned by the umpire for flinging her racket across the grass and then received an automatic point penalty for appearing to throw her racket again; Briton Dan Evans also fined
Tuesday 11 July 2023 23:52, UK
Teenager Mirra Andreeva has been fined a total of $8,000 for two separate incidents of unsporting behaviour when she lost her fourth-round match to Madison Keys.
Britain's Dan Evans has also been fined $4,000 for an audible obscenity.
On Monday Andreeva was given a point penalty for throwing her racket and refused to shake the umpire's hand during her 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 loss to Keys.
World No 102 Andreeva, who was looking to become the youngest player to reach the last eight of the grass-court Grand Slam since Anna Kournikova in 1997, fought valiantly against Keys but was ultimately overwhelmed by the experienced American.
Andreeva was given her first warning by umpire Louise Azemar Engzell after flinging her racket across the grass when she lost the second-set tie-break.
She then appeared to throw her racket again when Keys forced deuce at 2-5 in the deciding set, earning a second warning and an automatic point penalty, which gave her opponent a match point.
Andreeva argued her case with Azemar Engzell, saying: "Do you understand what you are doing? I didn't throw the racket. I slid. It's the wrong decision. I slid and then I fell."
But the decision stood and Keys won the next point to clinch victory, with Andreeva heading to the net to shake hands with her opponent but walking straight past the umpire.
Andreeva had feared being defaulted after whacking a ball angrily into the crowd at the French Open and teenage petulance is something she will clearly need to grow out of, but there is no doubt she is a special talent.
She had not played on grass until the qualifying tournament two weeks ago but she has learned quickly on the surface and her mix of terrific defence and intelligent point construction will win her a lot of matches.
For nearly an hour she was completely in control but the American changed tactics to follow her big groundstrokes to the net and even breaking serve with a left-handed forehand winner.
By the time the second-set tie-break came around, it was Keys who had the momentum, and Andreeva was unable to shrug off her disappointment at the beginning of the deciding set.
