Teenager Mirra Andreeva will do well to get past defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of the Australian Open on Sunday but still believes it is only a matter of time before she breaks into the top 10 in world.
The 17-year-old world number 15, the only teenager left in women's draw and the only one in the top 100, is seen by some as a dark horse in the title race at the year's first Grand Slam.
The lack of young pretenders in the women's draw is a stark contrast to the men's field, where a trio of teenagers made their Grand Slam debuts and took out top 10 seeds in the first week.
Andreeva arrived in Melbourne on the back of a strong 2024 season in which she reached the semi-finals of the French Open, stunning Sabalenka along the way.
Regardless of whether she can repeat the feat against the world No 1 on Sunday, Andreeva is happy to take on the weight of expectation and confident of the upward trajectory of her career.
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"When everyone is saying that, 'Okay, she's going to be top 10, she's going to be the first one who will enter the top 10 from younger players,' I feel like, okay, well, I'm just going to try to do so," Andreeva told reporters on Friday.
"I'm sure that it's a matter of time until I'm in top 10."
Andreeva, who has a 1-3 record against 26-year-old Sabalenka, said she would try to keep her opponent guessing.
"My style of play is built on playing smart with a bit of cunning," Andreeva told Reuters when asked about the match-up with the Australian and US Open champion.
"I do not always use strong shots, that is, I try to change the rhythm a lot and mix up my shots in general."
The superstitious teenager said she was not going to prepare any differently for Sunday's match.
"There is a routine and I will stick to it until the end of the tournament," Andreeva said.
"Chicken with rice, every day, and with cheese, so nothing changes here."