Mirra Andreeva seals China Open semifinal vs Nikola Bartunkova

BEIJING, October 9 ------ Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva pushed through two tie-breaks to beat her compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) at the China Open powering into a semi-final clash with Nikola Bartunkova.

Andreeva, the 19-year-old fourth seed, is the favorite for the tournament in Beijing now that a series of upsets have knocked out her more esteemed rivals. The French Open champion dropped just three points to grab a two-game lead but still needed a tie-break to edge 28th-ranked Alexandrova in the first set.

Both players struggled to extend rallies in a sparsely populated stadium as they tumbled into another tie-break. Andreeva found the breakthrough with a masterful forehand to go 3-2 ahead, then held her nerve, dropping just one more point before crossing the finish line. “I am very happy that we finished this match, because I knew if it (went) to the third set it’s going to be really tough for both of us,” Andreeva said. “She played unbelievable,” the teenager said of her 31-year-old opponent. “What a match.”

Earlier, Bartunkova stunned her Czech compatriot Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-0. On Friday, China’s Zheng Qinwen plays Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, and Poland’s Iga Swiatek faces Belgium’s Elise Mertens, each gunning for a semi-final spot.

Source: inquirer.net