Mirra Andreeva defeated Marta Kostyuk, 6-1, 6-3, in the French Open semi-finals.
The Russian delivered one of the finest performances of her professional career, becoming the first player to beat Kostyuk on clay this season.
Andreeva was excellent from start to finish and stood strong when her opponent threatened a comeback in the second set.
How do you feel about the roofs not being closed for strong wind? 😬
After the match, French Open legend Chris Evert made a statement about Andreeva.
Chris Evert claims Mirra Andreeva has ‘come of age’ at this year’s French Open
During TNT Sports’ post-match coverage, Evert shared her thoughts on the Russian number one.
“Mirra Andreeva has come of age, I would say,” said Evert.
Mirra Andreeva vs Marta Kostyuk – Match stats
| Stats | Mirra Andreeva | Marta Kostyuk |
| Aces | 2 | 1 |
| Double faults | 3 | 4 |
| 1st Serve % | 77% | 49% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 66% | 50% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 67% | 48% |
| Break points | 5/13 | 1/5 |
“I am looking at her physique now. She is an athlete, a strong athlete.
“When she came onto the scene at 16, she was a counter-puncher. She was a great defence player.
“Now she is a woman who can run hard, she has muscles, she has strength, and she has become a more aggressive player, as well as keeping the consistency and defence.
“She is an all-court player right now.”
Former British number one Tim Henman agreed with Evert’s assessment.
“You’re right,” he said.
“She has added power to her serve and ground shots, but she has great variation.
“At times, she can slice the forehand on defence, she can go to the drop shot on both wings, she plays a lot of doubles.
“She is good at winning points at the net, so now you are really looking at the complete package with the improved physicality. It was the complete performance today.”
Andreeva has looked impressive at this year’s French Open, but this was, by far, her best performance.
Mirra Andreeva’s route to the French Open final
- 1R [WIN] vs Fiona Ferro, 6-3, 6-3
- 2R [WIN] vs Marina Bassols Ribera, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1
- 3R [WIN] vs Marie Bouzkova, 6-4, 6-2
- 4R [WIN] vs Jil Teichmann, 6-3, 6-2
- QF [WIN] vs Sorana Cirstea, 6-0, 6-3
- SF [WIN] vs Marta Kostyuk, 6-1, 6-3
The question now is, can she keep it up for the final?
Who will Mirra Andreeva play in the French Open final?
Andreeva will take on either Diana Shnaider or Maja Chwalinska in Saturday’s final.
Chwalinska is the lesser-known of the two, having advanced through qualifying to reach the semis.
The Pole mixes things up and can trouble any player, as evidenced by her upset wins over Qinwen Zheng, Elise Mertens, and Anna Kalinskaya over the past fortnight.
Andreeva and Chwalinska have never met before on the WTA Tour.
The same cannot be said for Andreeva and Shnaider.
Often doubles partners, the Russians know each other well on and off the court.
After her quarter-final win, Shnaider opened up about her relationship with Andreeva.
“Yeah, we’re very good on and off the court,” said Shnaider.
“I feel like even if we play each other in singles, we’re super good.
“Yes, we have a good relationship off the court, but if we are playing each other, we both want to win.”
Andreeva has a winning 2-0 head-to-head record against Shnaider, although they have never played against each other on clay.
The 19-year-old will have to wait and see if it is Shnaider or Chwalinska whom she will face in her maiden Grand Slam final on Saturday, June 6.
