Amanda Anisimova admitted she got “really emotional” watching Mirra Andreeva break down during their tight quarter-final match in Dubai. Andreeva, 18, was the defending champion at this week’s WTA 1000 event. She served for the match in the third set, but was broken and ultimately lost 2-6 7-5 7-6(4).

Andreeva grew frustrated during the match, repeatedly hitting her thigh after going 3-4 down in the decider. After losing in a tiebreak, she doubled over and burst into tears before meeting Anisimova at the net for a hug. The world No. 7 continued crying as she headed to her bench before leaving the court.

Anisimova showed her class after the match, paying tribute to Andreeva during her on-court interview and admitting she was almost in tears herself. And the two-time Grand Slam finalist later opened up on just how difficult it was to see Andreeva cry,” Anisimova said.

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“Yeah, made me like really emotional because I feel like we both sort of felt that way throughout the match, probably because it was such a rollercoaster, so up and down. Despite whichever way it was going, I feel like we were both fighting with everything we had and trying our best.

“Yeah, it’s not easy to see someone that gives their all and then to react like that. It made me really sad for her. In my mind, I was just, like, thinking if she keeps playing like this, there’s a title around the corner for her. Obviously, she’s going to have a great year. She seems to be doing all the right things. Yeah, not easy to be a defending champion. But I feel like she did an amazing job. Yeah, that’s kind of why I felt like that. I mean, there will be many more matches for us to come, I’m sure.”

It was a tough match for both players. Anisimova served for it at 5-3 in the decider before Andreeva stormed back to win three games in a row, also having a chance to close it out herself. But the No. 2 seed in Dubai got it done in the tiebreak.

“I feel like she was just playing really well. There wasn’t much I was doing wrong. I was making my first shots, I was trying my best. I think she was just playing very aggressive. I felt like I had to step it up and commit to my shots more. Tried to also be the aggressive one,” Anisimova later explained.

“I feel like that’s kind of the direction I was going into in the second set, is just going for more, committing to the game that I like to play, which is an aggressive game style. Yeah, I feel like we were just kind of going back to back with it. I feel like we were both trying to play really aggressive. I feel like the game style had shifted a lot of times throughout the match, as well.”

Anisimova will now face Jessica Pegula in a rematch of their recent Australian Open quarter-final, won by Pegula. “I feel like that feels like such a long time ago for me because every week we have a lot going on. There’s so many practices, so many matches,” she said.

“I’m feeling, like, a lot better, like I said, every single day here. I feel like I’ve been going into the right direction. I’m really happy with the things I’m working on and the progress I’ve been making since I finished Australia.”

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