Mirra Andreeva reached the WTA Finals semi-finals on Wednesday by beating Aryna Sabalenka.
Andreeva won 11 straight games to complete a 4-1 comeback in the first set.
“I'm even happier than I was after my first match” Andreeva said in her on-court interview.
From a 4-1 deficit, Sabalenka managed to win only 10 of the final 55 points during the match. Andreeva rattled off 12 points. She captured three love games to level the score at 4-4.
Andreeva secured 31 of 35 points played between that 4-1 opening set and a 0-40 deficit on Sabalenka’s serve early in the second frame. The Russian competitor sealed the victory with a love hold.
Statistics from Tennis Majors show Sabalenka committed 23 unforced errors compared to Andreeva’s six. Sabalenka hit eight winners to her opponent’s 16. She served no aces while giving up five.
The outcome echoed Sabalenka’s quarter-final loss at Roland-Garros in June against Diana Shnaider. She surrendered a set and a 4-1 lead before dropping 13 of the final games.
The 19-year-old Andreeva earned her second victory over a top-10 player of the week following a 6-4, 6-0 win against Elina Svitolina on Monday. Andreeva won her last two meetings against Sabalenka after also defeating her in the 2025 Indian Wells final.
In Group 2 provisional standings reported by Tennis Majors, Andreeva cannot be caught. She holds head-to-head wins over both possible rivals even if she loses her match against Karolina Muchova on Friday. Muchova has been eliminated from advancement.
Mirra Andreeva wins FIVE games in a row to win the first set against Aryna Sabalenka 😱 Stream the second set on https://t.co/1bB6GOgep5 📲 #FAGEWTAFinals pic.twitter.com/Ru1oizIM3K
The win marked Svitolina’s ninth victory against a top-10 player this year and her first at the WTA Finals since winning the title in 2019. Svitolina and Sabalenka meet in a straight shoot-out for second place.
Earlier coverage: Mirra Andreeva Dominates Elina Svitolina in WTA Finals Debut
