Andreeva wins 11 straight games to beat Sabalenka and reach WTA Finals semi-finals

AI-generated illustration.

Mirra Andreeva recovered from 4–1 down to win 11 consecutive games and defeat Aryna Sabalenka 6–4, 6–0 at the WTA Finals on Wednesday. The 19-year-old’s 62-minute victory in Indian Wells secured her first semi-final appearance at the season-ending tournament and confirmed her as the Group 2 winner.

Sabalenka had broken serve to establish the early advantage, but Andreeva took control of the return games and gave her opponent no route back. From that 4–1 deficit, she won 45 of the final 55 points.

Andreeva finished with 16 winners and six unforced errors, compared with eight winners and 23 errors for Sabalenka. The difference reflected how completely the third seed had reversed the match after its opening exchanges.

The French Open champion has now won both of her group matches in straight sets, having opened with another 6–4, 6–0 victory over Elina Svitolina. According to the WTA, she is the youngest semi-finalist since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009 and the first player to win a 6–0 set in each of her first two matches at the event.

Svitolina kept her own campaign alive by coming back to beat Karolina Muchova 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 in two hours and two minutes. That left Svitolina and Sabalenka with one win apiece and eliminated Muchova, who has lost both of her matches.

Sabalenka and Svitolina meet on Friday, 13 November, with the group’s remaining semi-final place at stake. Andreeva plays Muchova in her final round-robin match with top spot already secured.

Linda Noskova has also qualified from Group 1, where Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula remain in contention heading into Thursday’s final round of matches.