Mirra Andreeva, a Russian teenager, defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the Indian Wells final for the first time. She now wants to win the WTA 1000 title twice. After a close first set, the 17-year-old Andreeva was flawless in the tiebreak, leaning over and yelling when she caused Swiatek to make a forehand error on set point. The Polish second seed broke in the first game of the second set after Andreeva’s backhand went wide, leveling the match. Andreeva, studying handwritten notes during the changeovers, grabbed the momentum back by breaking to open the third set as temperatures in the California desert plummeted and the wind picked up.
She hit a winner with a forehand, escalating Swiatek’s annoyance, to make it 3-1. Swiatek hit a backhand into the net on match point. Adreeva stated in court, “After she killed me in the second set, I thought, okay, I’ll just try to fight.” I couldn’t do much about it because she was playing so well. I’ve just decided to fight for every point. I have to insert the ball regardless of how I do it. It wasn’t bad at all at the end.” Andreeva has won 11 straight matches since becoming the youngest winner of a WTA 1000 event last month in Dubai. The world number two, who has lost all five of her semi-final appearances since winning the French Open in June, has been the opponent of two of those victories. Andreeva is the youngest person to win a WTA 1000 tournament. Conchita Martinez is a former Wimbledon champion who coached the ninth-seeded Andreeva, a two-time Indian Wells finalist. “I know that my coach lost in the finals so I’m going to try to be better than her,” said Andreeva with a laugh.
The loss ends five-time major champion Swiatek’s bid to become the first woman to win the tournament in the Southern California desert three times.
Andreeva will look to claim her second straight WTA 1000 title after her triumph in Dubai last month when she faces Aryna Sabalenka in the final on Sunday.
With a ruthless performance, Sabalenka avenged her loss to Madison Keys in the Australian Open final and advanced to the other semi-final with a 6-0, 6-1 victory. Keys claimed her first grand slam title with a victory over world No. 1 Sabalenka in January, but the American fifth seed never looked like repeating that victory in Indian Wells.
Sabalenka prevailed in just 51 minutes even though Keys held serve late in the second set to prevent a whitewash.
