MIRRA ANDREEVA
Even the reigning Indian Wells champion Iga Swiatek was unable to stop the rising teenager Mirra Andreeva from defeating Aryna Sabalenka and making it to the final.
Andreeva defeated Swiatek 7-6 (7-1) 1-6 6-3 to become the youngest champion of a WTA 1000 event in Dubai last month.
The world No. 2 player, who has lost all five of her semi-final appearances since winning the French Open last June, was defeated twice by the 17-year-old in her 11th consecutive victory.
Aryna Sabalenka earned her spot in the final by defeating Madison Keys 6-0 6-1, ruthlessly exacting revenge for her loss to Keys in the Australian Open final.
Swiatek easily won the second set with three breaks, although Andreeva lost a solitary point in the tie-break after a close opening set.
However, she was unable to maintain her power, and Andreeva won the match in two hours and seventeen minutes after breaking the third set for the third time.
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Andreeva remarked, “I am not sure why, but I felt so confident and like I am going to go and play the tie-break like it is the final tie-break of my life.” I simply went for all of my shots.
“I felt really secure and at ease during the tie-break, and I served really well. I was playing on a roll.
Conchita Martinez, a former Wimbledon champion who made it to the Indian Wells final twice while playing, is the coach of the ninth seed.
Andreeva laughed and stated, “I am going to attempt to be better than my coach because I know she lost in the finals.”
Swiatek’s attempt to become the first woman to win the event in the desert of Southern California three times was defeated.
Ruthless Sabalenka races into final
Keys defeated Sabalenka in January to win her maiden Grand Slam championship, but the American fifth seed never seemed to be able to duplicate that triumph in Indian Wells after making 21 mistakes.
In cold, windy circumstances, Sabalenka won in just 51 minutes, with Keys holding serve late in the second set to prevent a whitewash.
“I wish I would play like that in Australia,” Sabalenka said, acknowledging that she needed time to bounce back from that loss and that she was eager to play Andreeva.
“It seems like an elderly mother is playing a game against a child. I am nine years older than her, my god.
Andreeva, who lost to the Belarusian in straight sets at the Australian Open’s fourth round, is also thinking about getting revenge.
She declared, “I still have nothing to lose, therefore I am going to try to get even.”
“I think it will be an intriguing match. There will be numerous winners and excellent points.
Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva will face each other in the final of Indian Wells:
Sabalenka leads the head to head 4-1
She has won their last two meetings in straight sets.
Sabalenka has won 12 of the last 14 matches she has played at this event. This is her 10th WTA 1000 final.
Andreeva is on an 11-match win streak and is into her second consecutive WTA 1000 final.
In the men’s semi-finals, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz faces British No 1 Jack Draper, and fifth-seed Daniil Medvedev takes on Holger Rune.
