Mirra Andreeva became the youngest player to ever reach a WTA-1000 final on Friday, defeating Elena Rybakina 6-4 4-6 6-3 at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The 17-year-old had already stunned world number two Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals to tee up her meeting with 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina.

Three straight breaks of serve decided the opening set, with two of those going Andreeva's way. The Russian then showed impressive composure to fend off two break points in the very next game, before going a set up by coming through a more comfortable service game.

The second set followed a similar pattern, but this time the vital break went to Rybakina, and when the world number seven got another break to go 3-1 up in the decider, the momentum seemed to be firmly behind her.

However, the set turned on a missed volley from Rybakina, who was powerless to prevent Andreeva from bringing it back to serve.

After going 4-3 up with another break, Andreeva fought back from 0-40 down in a marathon eighth game, saving four break points to put herself on the verge. 

Deflated by that failure to level, Rybakina gifted Andreeva match point by striking a backhand into the net, and though the teenager failed to capitalise the first time around, she made no mistake on her second match point.

1 - Mirra Andreeva (17 years and 298 days) is the youngest player to reach a WTA-1000 final, since the format’s introduction in 2009. Future.#DDFTennis | @DDFTennis @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/wRnqlgoiPO

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) February 21, 2025

Data Debrief: Three of the best for Andreeva

Andreeva will now meet either Karolina Muchova or Clara Tauson in the final, chasing her second Tour-level title and a career-high world ranking.

A victory will ensure she moves into the top 10, becoming the youngest player to do so since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007.

3 - Mirra Andreeva is the youngest player to defeat three Grand Slam champions at a single event since Maria Sharapova (WTA Finals 2004). Meteoric. #DDFTennis | @DDFTennis @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/QzbmFYEKSP

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) February 21, 2025

Particularly impressive has been the nature of her run in Dubai. Andreeva saw off Marketa Vondrousova in the second round before beating Swiatek in the last eight, making this her third win over a grand slam champion at this tournament.

She is the youngest player to eliminate three grand slam winners from a single WTA tournament since 2004, when a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Myskina and Serena Williams at the WTA Finals in Los Angeles.