Andreeva stuns Sabalenka to storm into WTA semi-finals

Mirra Andreeva produced a stunning performance to defeat world number two Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets and secure her place in the semi-finals of the WTA Finals.

The 19-year-old Russian recovered from an early setback to claim a commanding 6-4, 6-0 victory, winning 11 consecutive games against the four-time Grand Slam champion.

Sabalenka initially took control of the opening set with a 4-1 advantage. However, Andreeva quickly turned the match around with a combination of intelligent shot selection, powerful groundstrokes and consistent baseline play.

The French Open champion displayed remarkable composure throughout the contest, recording 16 winners while committing just six unforced errors. She also produced three consecutive aces when serving for the opening set to prevent Sabalenka from mounting another challenge.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, struggled to maintain her early momentum. The Belarusian committed 23 unforced errors and failed to register an ace. Despite having her knee taped, she showed no obvious signs that the issue was affecting her movement.

After losing her early advantage, Sabalenka managed to win only 10 more points as Andreeva dominated the remainder of the match.

Andreeva admitted that her opponent had not produced her best tennis but said she was pleased with her own ability to remain focused and control the aspects of her game.

The victory confirmed Andreeva’s position as the group winner and secured her semi-final place. Sabalenka will now face Elina Svitolina in her final group match on Friday, with the winner advancing to the last four.

Meanwhile, Svitolina kept her campaign alive with a determined comeback victory over Karolina Muchova.

The Ukrainian recovered from losing the opening set and receiving medical treatment for a right hip problem to secure a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 win.

Svitolina initially struggled against the Wimbledon runner-up but gradually took control as Muchova’s errors increased. The Czech player finished with 39 unforced errors, allowing the sixth seed to turn the contest around.

Svitolina said frustration following her opening defeat against Andreeva motivated her to improve her performance and regain control of the match.

Elsewhere, Britain’s Cameron Norrie suffered a 7-5, 6-3 defeat against world number 10 Taylor Fritz at the Stockholm Open.

Denmark’s Holger Rune, meanwhile, reached the quarter-finals after defeating Miomir Kecmanovic 2-6, 6-1, 6-4. The victory marked another important step in his comeback after a serious Achilles injury kept him away from competition for nearly a year.