Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva produced a remarkable comeback to defeat world number two Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-0 and book her place in the semifinals of the 2026 WTA Finals.
The 19-year-old French Open champion recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the opening set before dominating the remainder of the match. She won 11 consecutive games to complete the victory in just 62 minutes at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California on Wednesday.
Andreeva, ranked third in the world, secured her second consecutive victory in Group 2 and guaranteed top spot in the group, advancing to the last four on her singles debut at the season-ending tournament.
Andreeva Turns Around Opening-Set Deficit
Sabalenka initially appeared to be in control after breaking Andreeva to establish a 3-1 lead. The Belarusian, who entered the contest as the world number two, looked set to take the opening set after moving ahead 4-1.
However, Andreeva quickly changed the momentum, improving her groundstrokes and putting pressure on Sabalenka’s serve. She won three consecutive games to level the score at 4-4 before breaking her opponent again and serving out the set 6-4.
The Russian continued her impressive performance in the second set, racing to a 3-0 lead. Sabalenka struggled to respond to Andreeva’s aggressive play and committed several costly errors.
Andreeva eventually completed a 6-0 second-set victory, recording 16 winners and just six unforced errors.
Following the match, Andreeva expressed her happiness with the performance and said she still had plenty of energy for further matches.
Sabalenka Faces Pressure to Reach Semifinals
Despite the defeat, Sabalenka remains in contention for a place in the semifinals. The 28-year-old will face Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in her final round-robin match on Friday.
The Belarusian, making her sixth consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals, needs a strong performance to keep her campaign alive.
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Her defeat against Andreeva was particularly disappointing after she had established a commanding position in the opening set but failed to win another game following her 4-1 lead.
Svitolina Keeps Semifinal Hopes Alive
Earlier, Elina Svitolina maintained her chances of reaching the last four by recovering from a set down to defeat Czech player Karolina Muchova 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Muchova started strongly and took the opening set after breaking Svitolina three times. However, the Ukrainian raised her level in the second set, winning five consecutive games to take control of the match.
Svitolina carried that momentum into the deciding set and secured the victory with another two breaks of serve.
The result eliminated Muchova from semifinal contention after her second defeat in the group stage. Svitolina will now meet Sabalenka in a decisive encounter for the remaining semifinal place in Group 2.
Source: The Express Tribune, AFP, Reuters.
