Mirra Andreeva held off a late Ekaterina Alexandrova surge to claim a 7-6(4), 7-6(3) quarterfinal victory on Thursday night and book her first China Open semifinal in Beijing.
The teenager’s 1-hour, 53-minute win ended two previous losing meetings with the 19th-seeded Alexandrova, both of which had been decided without Andreeva taking a set. It was also her first victory over the Russian at WTA Tour level.
Quick facts
- Result: Mirra Andreeva beat No. 19 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6(4), 7-6(3).
- Match time: 1 hour, 53 minutes.
- Round: China Open quarterfinals in Beijing.
- Head-to-head: Andreeva now trails Alexandrova 1-2.
- Milestone: Andreeva reached the fourth WTA 1000 semifinal of her career.
Andreeva appeared on course for a more straightforward finish when she built a 4-1 advantage in the second set. She later served for the match at 5-3, but Alexandrova found a way back and forced another tiebreak.
The decisive breaker turned on a forehand winner from Andreeva, which gave her a 3-2 lead. She celebrated loudly, then took five of the last six points to close out a demanding straight-sets contest.
“Even when I was ahead 5-2 in the second set, I still felt her pressure,” Andreeva said after the match. “It felt like she was improving and I did not use all my opportunities. Maybe I could have been more aggressive, but it was such a match. I’m very happy with the way it went.”
She added: “She played incredibly well today, and I’m very happy to have my first win against her.”
The Beijing run makes Andreeva the youngest player to reach the China Open semifinals since Agnes Szavay in 2007. It is also her fourth career semifinal at WTA 1000 level.
Since the WTA 1000 format began in 2009, only Coco Gauff, with five, has reached more semifinals at this level as a teenager than Andreeva. The Beijing semifinal keeps Andreeva moving forward in the race for the WTA Finals in Indian Wells.
