French Open 2024: Mirra Andreeva vs Varvara Gracheva; Preview, Head-to-Head, and Prediction

Varvara Gracheva was on a six-match losing streak when she stepped on the clay courts of Charleston. She willingly demoted herself to qualifiers to turn her season around, and it paid off. Gaining momentum with every passing week, she entered the French Open buzzing with confidence and triggered the upset of the tournament by overcoming Maria Sakkari. However, a gritty Mirra Andreeva stands in her way to further glory.

At just 17, Andreeva has become a household name in the tennis fraternity. After blitzing past Peyton Stearns, she made her third second-week appearance at majors. With the legendary Conchita Martinez by her side, she has been making regular deep runs in big WTA tournaments.

Mirra Andreeva vs Varvara Gracheva: French Open Round 4 Preview

Andreeva’s win percentage has now shot up to 75 (9-3) for the European clay swing. She registered some of the biggest wins of her career in Madrid against Marketa Vondrousova and Jasmine Paolini. Falling out early in Rome gave her ample time to prepare for the French, and now she enters round 4 while dropping only one set, the entire week.

Gracheva, meanwhile, made her first slam second-week appearance at Roland Garros 2024. Her form was questionable throughout the clay swing. However, playing the WTA 125 event in Paris paid dividends. Her confidence level skyrocketed in the presence of the local French crowd that carried her to Round 4.

Mirra Andreeva vs Varvara Gracheva: Head-to-Head

Andreeva and Gracheva will be locking horns for the first time at Stade Roland Garros. In 2024, Andreeva owns a 15-7 win-loss record, while Gracheva has won 19 of her 34 matches this season.

Prediction:

Gracheva is playing some of the best tennis of her career on Parisian clay. Her dominant victories over Pera and Begu will certainly be in the back of Andreeva’s mind. However, the 23-year-old hasn’t established herself as a player with a high ceiling. Andreeva can exploit her substandard second serve with ease and that can potentially be the difference maker in this matchup.

Andreeva’s tactics are quite simple. She hits the ball deep and with heavy topspin to push the opponent way behind the baseline, and then brings the drop shot into play. For a 17-year-old, she surely possesses enough variety to go up against WTA top seeds. Her backhand remains a strong weapon at the same time, and she can redirect pace off it with perfection.

The Russian has also registered 8 aces so far in the competition, compared to 4 for Gracheva. With a superior serve, backhand potency, and rally tolerance, she appears as a clear favorite. However, battling the French crowd will also be a test of her mental strength.

Final Verdict: Andreeva to win a three-set battle in under 30 games. Her ace count will remain more than Gracheva’s, and the match will rest on her racket.