Arabic version: أندرييفا تبلغ نصف نهائي نهائيات رابطة محترفات التنس

According to BBC News, Mirra Andreeva won 11 games in succession to beat world number two Aryna Sabalenka 6-4 6-0 and secure her place in the WTA Finals semi-finals as group winner. The 19-year-old Russian, the French Open champion, recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the opening set to produce what was described as a statement victory over the four-time major singles winner.

Andreeva initially used high, looping balls to wrong-foot Sabalenka before showing power and creating angles from the baseline. She hit 16 winners and six unforced errors. Serving for the first set while 15-30 down, Andreeva responded with three consecutive aces to take the lead. Sabalenka, who had taping on her knee, won only 10 more points after holding a double-break advantage and finished without an ace, with 23 unforced errors.

“I will be honest, I feel like Aryna did not have the best day,” Andreeva told Sky Sports. “I feel like I cannot really take all the credit today – I feel like that is not very fair in some ways.” She added that her goal was to commit no matter what and control the things she could control. Sabalenka will face Elina Svitolina in Friday’s final group match, with the winner advancing to the semi-finals.

Svitolina kept her own title hopes alive by coming from a set down to defeat Karolina Muchova 3-6 6-2 6-2. The Ukrainian took a medical timeout for a right hip injury after losing the first set and faced an early break point in the second, but saved it before wearing down the Wimbledon runner-up. Muchova made 39 unforced errors, most from her forehand.

“I was really angry at myself after the first match and the first set,” Svitolina told Sky Sports. “I tried to direct my anger towards the ball and I found my game in the end.”