Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva has made headlines by becoming the first 17-year-old to reach the women’s final at Indian Wells since 2001. She achieved this feat after an impressive victory over the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, in the semifinals.
In a remarkable performance, Andreeva defeated the world number two for the second consecutive tournament. She had earlier eliminated Swiatek at the quarter-final stage in Dubai back in February and went on to become the youngest victor of a WTA 1000 event. Her winning streak now stands at an impressive 11 matches, as she rebounded from a setback in the second set to outplay the seasoned Polish player with a scoreline of 7-6 (7-1), 1-6, 6-3.
Looking ahead to the final, Andreeva is set to take on the top seed, Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka, hailing from Belarus, is riding high after delivering a commanding performance that avenged her previous loss to American Madison Keys at the Australian Open, clinching victory with an assertive 6-0, 6-1 win.
Reflecting on her journey, the ninth-seeded Andreeva shared, “I was handling the nerves and pressure quite well, and I’m truly proud of how I fought back in that final set.” She candidly admitted, “After the second set where she really had the upper hand, I just thought, ‘Okay, let’s fight.’ She was playing phenomenally.” Determined not to give up, Andreeva decided she would contest every point with all her might. “I just aimed to keep the ball in play, regardless of how it was done. In the end, it turned out quite well,” she remarked.
This places Andreeva as the youngest finalist at Indian Wells since Kim Clijsters faced off against Serena Williams in 2001. Her upcoming challenge against the world number one, Sabalenka, promises to be thrilling. Sabalenka swept past fifth seed Keys in just 51 minutes, seeking to redeem herself after their Australian Open clash where Keys triumphed 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, thwarting Sabalenka’s bid for a third straight Melbourne title.
Sabalenka opened up about the lingering impact of her Australian Open loss, describing it as “heartbreaking,” necessitating time to mentally recover. “Losing again today would have been hard to shake off, and I was determined not to let that happen,” she shared. “I came onto the court with a clear focus and was eager to secure this win against Madison.”
