In a hotly contested Miami Open matchup, Amanda Anisimova succeeded in halting Mirra Andreeva’s winning streak, dashing her ‘Sunshine Double’ dream. However, it’s not the result of the game that’s been capturing the spotlight, but rather the controversial medical timeouts that occurred during the match.
Andreeva, the teen sensation who recently claimed the titles in Dubai and Indian Wells, entered the Miami Open on the back of a 13-match winning streak. She started her Florida campaign with a smashing victory over fellow Russian, Veronika Kudermetova. However, the 17-year-old prodigy seemed off her game against Anisimova.
In a surprising move, Andreeva took a medical timeout for a stomach issue just three games into the match, despite her coach Conchita Martinez’s advice against it. This early disruption unsettled Anisimova, who nonetheless managed to scrape through the first set in a tiebreak.
Anisimova acknowledged the impact of the early timeout, stating, “Certainly, it wasn’t the ideal situation. It somewhat disrupted the rhythm of the match which had barely begun. After that, I had to work to regain my momentum. I am satisfied with the way I managed to maintain focus and fight back.”
Andreeva received medical treatment for a second time at the beginning of the second set but didn’t seem significantly impaired as she dropped only two games to force a decider.
However, the incident that stirred the waters was Anisimova’s mid-game medical timeout in the third set. The 17th seed requested treatment for a blister while Andreeva was serving at 1-3 down, which sparked controversy. Andreeva insinuated that Anisimova was deliberately disrupting her service game, to which the American retorted by clarifying that the rules permit a mid-game timeout for an “acute” injury.
Post-match, Anisimova further explained, “I had a blister on my finger that broke open. The rules permit a timeout for an acute injury, which is what I took.” She took to Instagram after the match to dismiss Andreeva’s accusations of gamesmanship by posting a picture of her blistered finger, pointedly displayed.
Andreeva’s defeat marks the end of her 13-match winning streak and her first two WTA 1000 career titles. She will now take a break from the court until the clay-court swing.
On the other hand, Anisimova has a quick turnaround as she gears up to face Emma Raducanu on Monday. Raducanu was victorious when the two last met at the Australian Open in January. As she vies for her first WTA 1000 quarter-final since her Qatar Open victory in February, Anisimova will surely be hoping for a less contentious match.
