A straight-sets win with pressure at the finish
Mirra Andreeva made a winning WTA Finals singles debut in Indian Wells on November 9 local time, defeating 2018 champion Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-0. The 19-year-old won the final seven games of the 70-minute match to open her Group 2 campaign.
The decisive first-set advantage came in the fifth game, when a Svitolina double fault helped Andreeva break for 3-2. She maintained that lead to the end of the set, winning 87% of her first-serve points in the opener.
The 6-0 second set still required important saves. Andreeva faced four break points in the final game and erased them all before serving out the match. Combined with two earlier opportunities, she saved all six break points she faced. It was her seventh match this season without losing serve.
Sabalenka is next
Andreeva said she had not collected many top-ten wins this season and was particularly pleased to beat such an experienced opponent. The result gave her a 2-1 head-to-head lead over Svitolina and avenged her defeat at this year’s Australian Open.
According to the WTA’s match report, she now has 51 tour wins this season, behind only Elena Rybakina’s 54. She joined Aryna Sabalenka on one win in Group 2, with the round-robin competition still at its opening stage.
Sabalenka will be her next opponent. Andreeva trails their head-to-head 2-4 but won their latest meeting, the 2025 Indian Wells final.
After beating Svitolina, Andreeva asked coach Conchita Martinez for extra practice. She said she wanted to tidy up her shots, serve a little and feel freer on court, choosing more preparation after a successful debut.
