Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva pulled off a sensational upset at Indian Wells, defeating defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-3 in the semi-finals on Saturday. The 17-year-old, who has been in remarkable form this season, will now face top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Sabalenka, determined to avenge her Australian Open final loss, delivered a dominant performance against Madison Keys, winning 6-0, 6-1 in just 52 minutes.
The Belarusian’s commanding victory set up a thrilling title clash with Andreeva, who is aiming to win back-to-back WTA 1000 titles after her recent triumph in Dubai.
Andreeva showed resilience throughout her match against Swiatek, battling through a tightly contested opening set. She was flawless in the tiebreak, sealing it when Swiatek sent a forehand wide.
However, the Polish world No. 2 responded emphatically in the second set, breaking early and forcing a decider.
As the temperature dropped and winds picked up in the California desert, Andreeva regained control in the third set. She broke serve early and extended her lead with a powerful forehand winner, while Swiatek struggled with errors.
On match point, the teenager held her nerve as Swiatek sent a backhand long, sealing a career-defining victory.
“After she literally destroyed me in the second set, I thought, okay, I’ll just try to fight,” Andreeva said after the match.
“There wasn’t much I could do, she was playing amazing. I just decided to fight for every point and try to put the ball in, no matter how. In the end, it wasn’t too bad.”
The young Russian, who is coached by former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, acknowledged her mentor’s history at Indian Wells and jokingly said she wants to go one step further.
“I know my coach lost in the finals here, so I’m going to try to be better than her,” Andreeva laughed.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner, had been aiming to become the first woman to win three Indian Wells titles but saw her campaign end in frustration.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka barely broke a sweat in her semi-final, racing through the first set 6-0 as Keys struggled with unforced errors. A double fault from the American handed Sabalenka a 4-0 lead, and despite a brief fightback from Keys, the world No. 1 sealed victory with a backhand winner.
“I didn’t expect the match to be that fast, but I’m super happy,” Sabalenka said. “Much-needed revenge.”
Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, finished as the runner-up at Indian Wells last year and is eager to go one step further. She also acknowledged Andreeva’s rapid rise and the generational gap between them.
“It feels like an old mama playing against a kid,” said the 26-year-old. “She’s two years younger than my sister, and I still see my sister as a kid. It’s crazy.”
For Andreeva, Sunday’s final presents another opportunity for revenge. She previously lost to Sabalenka in straight sets during the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year.
“I’ll try to take my revenge because I still have nothing to lose,” Andreeva said.
“I feel like it’s going to be an entertaining match. There will be a lot of winners and great points.”
Follow us
