Sabalenka and Andreeva to Face Off in Indian Wells WTA 1000 Final
This Friday evening, the semifinals of the Indian Wells women's draw took place. The top four players in the Race rankings (the four best players since the start of the season in terms of points earned in tournaments) were competing with the goal of qualifying for the final in the American desert.
The first semifinal pitted defending champion Iga Swiatek against the 17-year-old Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva. The two had faced off in the quarterfinals in Dubai, where Andreeva emerged victorious. The Polish player was eager for revenge in a tournament where she feels comfortable.
The Russian got off to a strong start, breaking at 4-4 and serving to win the first set, but Swiatek immediately fought back. After a one-sided tie-break won 7-1, Andreeva, ranked 11th in the world, took the lead.
Swiatek then raised her level of play and left little room for her young opponent in the second set. Far from being intimidated, Andreeva regained control in the final set, breaking three times to secure the win and dethrone Swiatek (7-6, 1-6, 6-3).
The 17-year-old player qualifies for her second WTA 1000 final, her second consecutive one after her triumph in Dubai. As for Swiatek, she will have to wait a bit longer to play her first final of the season.
In the final, Andreeva will face Aryna Sabalenka. The world number 1 took on Madison Keys in a rematch of the thrilling Australian Open final that took place earlier this season and had gone in favor of the American.
On a streak of 16 consecutive wins, Keys is in the form of her life, but Sabalenka, who struggled to digest her loss in Melbourne, exacted a stunning revenge, dropping only one game in this semifinal (6-0, 6-1).
The Belarusian had won the first eleven games, and Keys eventually won her service game to avoid a double bagel. Sabalenka and Andreeva will face off for the fifth time (Sabalenka leads 4-1 so far) and for the third time in 2025.
In the Brisbane and Australian Open tournaments, Sabalenka had won in straight sets each time. Regardless, Indian Wells will crown a new champion this Sunday during the grand final.
Indian Wells 
