Mirra Andreeva held off Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6(4), 7-6(3) in one hour 53 minutes to reach the China Open semi-finals, while Nikola Bartunkova thrashed Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-0 for her first WTA 1000 semi-final. The pair now meet in Beijing with a place in the final at stake.
Beijing, China: Mirra Andreeva needed one hour and 53 minutes and two tiebreaks on Thursday to beat a fellow Russian who had won both of their previous meetings. On the same quarter-final day, 20-year-old Nikola Bartunkova needed just 67 minutes to leave Karolina Muchova behind her.
Andreeva wins the tiebreaks that mattered
The fourth seed and reigning French Open champion had to fight for every game against 19th seed Alexandrova. Andreeva broke for a 2-0 lead in the opening set, fell behind 5-3, then recovered to take the tiebreak 7-4.
The second set looked like a straightforward finish. Andreeva led 4-1 and served for the match at 5-3, only for Alexandrova to break back and force another tiebreak. This time Andreeva edged ahead 3-2 with a forehand winner, then won five of the last six points to close it out 7-3.
The numbers explain how close it was. Both players broke serve four times, with Andreeva converting four of seven break points and Alexandrova four of 10. Andreeva hit 23 winners against 16 unforced errors over the match, and 15 winners against five errors in the second set alone.
It was her first win over Alexandrova after losing both earlier meetings without taking a set. “She played unbelievable today, and I’m very happy to get my very first win against her,” Andreeva said. The result sends her into a fourth career WTA 1000 semi-final and her first in Beijing.
Bartunkova’s 67-minute statement
Bartunkova, the 26th seed, took the opposite route. She beat seventh seed Muchova, her fellow Czech, by winning the first five games, dropping the next three, and then taking the final seven. It was her first WTA 1000 semi-final and she is set to make her top-30 debut when the tournament ends.
This was no isolated surge. On Sunday, Bartunkova beat second seed and world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3 in the third round, a win she called the biggest of her career. Back in July she beat Kateřina Siniaková on the Wimbledon day that ended Andreeva’s tournament.
Youth takes the semi-final
The pairing is a young one. Their combined age of 40 years and six days makes it the fourth-youngest WTA 1000 semi-final since 2009. Andreeva has the edge in the only previous meeting, winning 6-2, 7-6(5) at the US Open last month.
The draw has not lacked drama this week, from Iga Swiatek’s comeback from 6-4, 5-2 down against Donna Vekic to Coco Gauff’s win over 16-year-old wild card Sun Xinran. Andreeva and Bartunkova have now claimed the next chapter.
Scores: Mirra Andreeva (4) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (19) 7-6(4), 7-6(3); Nikola Bartunkova (26) bt Karolina Muchova (7) 6-3, 6-0 — China Open, Beijing, quarter-finals
Next: Andreeva v Bartunkova in the semi-final
