Mirra, Mirra, out the door – teenager Andreeva departs Australian Open

Mirra Andreeva, 16, has been the discovery of the Australian Open. She’s out

Russia's Mirra Andreeva serves against Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova Picture: AFP

Mirra, Mirra, on the wall …

The best thing about this kid? She’s still such a kid. The 16-year-old talks so quickly she might be delivering the latest playground gossip.

She giggles at the drop of a hat. She plays some of the best tennis you’ve ever seen. She plays some of the worst. She’s reached the fourth round of Australian Open when there should be nothing more important to her than getting ready for Year 11.

She could be a ball kid and nobody would bat an eyelid.

The problem for Miss Andreeva? She’s still such a kid. The temperament isn’t as reliable as the talent and technique.

She hits a dozen beautiful balls then shanks an important one into the crowd. She throws her racquet when she’s having a petulant tantrum.

She tries to go big when she needs to play it smart. She tries to play it smart when she should be going for the doctor. She’s been beaten by Barbora Krejcikova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

First thought? What could have been for Storm Hunter. The Australian mollydooker was oh-so close to beating Krejcikova and with her steady temperament and rock-solid technique, she probably would have knocked off Andreeva.

The 28-year-old had too many smarts and steadiness as Andreeva lost the joy she’d been playing with until this match. Suddenly, she seemed burdened.

There’s magic in the arrival of 16-old superstars. Think Sachin Tendulkar, Rafael Nadal and now Andreeva, the baseline slugger who’s zooming up the world rankings and looks a certainty to reach the top 10 within a year.

Krejcikova started on John Cain Arena with an air of, urgh, 16-year-olds. Andreeva had too much firepower. Alas, as if the enormity of the quarter-final opportunity freaked her out, she played a poor final two sets.

Mirra, Mirra, out the door …

There’s a lot happening in her life. A lot of questions being asked of someone too young to have all the answers. A lot of spotlight.

“But I like being here,” she says. “I like to travel all over the world. I’m OK with what’s happening – but I don’t really have time to think about what’s happening. I don’t think it’s a big deal. I mean, fourth round, I’m 16, maybe it’s a bit new, but honestly, I don’t think that I did something amazing. I’m just trying to win matches. I’m just trying to fight. Fourth round is nothing. Maybe if I win a slam … I don’t think I did something incredible.”

Krejcikova’s next opponent will be defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. The woman in the red dress. She says she feels “special” to be the only women’s player wearing the colour, thanks to Nike’s designers, and hopes her openness about dealing with the passing of her father helps anyone out there who’s struggling to deal with the loss of a loved one.

Sabalenka speaks of her heartache in the Netflix documentary, Break Point.

“I just feel super-connected with my fans,” she said on Sunday. “I wanted to open up and for them just to hear the story. I felt like probably my story will motivate someone or will help someone in a tough situation to find their way through. Like, when you lose somebody, it’s really tough. Especially someone like your father. I know that some people are struggling with the same situation. I just felt like it’s tough but you can also find motivation to keep going in life.”