Mirra Andreeva is heading to the Madrid Open final after a gritty 6-4, 7-6 victory over Hailey Baptiste—but don't let the straight-sets scoreline fool you. This was a battle that tested every ounce of the young Russian's composure.
Baptiste, showing remarkable fight, saved a match point and pushed Andreeva into a second-set tiebreak that had fans on the edge of their seats. Andreeva ultimately prevailed 10-8 in the breaker, securing her first final appearance in Madrid.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, the 17-year-old opened up about the mental game that carried her through those high-pressure moments.
"Honestly, I'm super happy that I was able to stay composed and focused, even though I had a couple of opportunities to close out the set without the tiebreak," Andreeva said. "When it didn't happen, I just told myself that if she is going to win the second set, she is going to have to do something extraordinary, because I'm not going to just let her win those points."
She added: "I feel like she was a little bit more brave closer to the end of the set. I also got a little bit more tight. I'm just happy that I was able to force myself to play brave and really go for my serves and my shots so that I would have more opportunities to close out this match."
Andreeva's serve was a decisive weapon, especially in the tiebreak. When asked about its impact, she revealed the tricky mental balancing act that comes with a hot streak.
"I think so many free points were helpful. At some point, I thought there had been at least a couple of games where I didn't miss my first serve. Then obviously as soon as I thought about it, I started missing them straight away! So, really tried not to think about it or look at statistics because when you know your percentages are good you tend to hit less first serves in for some reason."
Baptiste's athleticism was on full display throughout the match, and there's no shame in losing to an opponent who brought quality tennis from start to finish. For Andreeva, this win also represents a significant mental step forward. Earlier in the tournament, during her fourth-round match against Anna Bondar, she had admitted she wasn't a "champion" after letting a lead slip. This time, with a final spot on the line, she proved that mindset is evolving—one brave shot at a time.