Andreeva first to qualify for Dubai final

Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina battled it out for a place in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai.

It was the Russian who emerged victorious after a 2:16 battle. She won 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Despite being broken in the third set, Andreeva found the resources to come back and win the last 5 games of the match.

This will be her first WTA 1000 final.

In a post-match interview, she declared: "The last time we played each other was a very difficult match.

She's a very experienced player, and she gave me very few opportunities. She's also a very good waitress. I tried to stay focused.

In the end, things went my way. When I lost my serve in the third set, I told myself that I'd had a good tournament and that I'd played point by point.

When I'm not thinking about what's going to happen next, that's when I play my best."

She will face Karolina Muchova or Clara Tauson in the final.