Andreeva carried her momentum into the second set, securing an early break for a 3-0 lead.

LOS ANGELES: French Open champion Mirra Andreeva stormed into the semi-finals of the WTA Finals on Wednesday after defeating world number two Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-0, while Elina Svitolina kept her qualification hopes alive with a three-set victory over Karolina Muchova.

The 19-year-old Russian recovered from a 4-1 deficit in the opening set before winning 11 consecutive games to complete a dominant round-robin victory in just 62 minutes.

“Oh my God, I’m even happier than I was after my first match,” Andreeva said. “I feel like I can play another two matches, I’m so full of energy. I’m so pumped up. I’m so happy.”

Andreeva, whose three titles this year include her maiden Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros, is making her singles debut at the season-ending championship.

The world number three initially appeared nervous against Sabalenka but quickly found her rhythm after losing an early break through a double fault.

She began handling the Belarusian’s powerful serves effectively and used aggressive groundstrokes to push her opponent behind the baseline.

Andreeva carried her momentum into the second set, securing an early break for a 3-0 lead.

Sabalenka saved three break points while trailing 0-40 but Andreeva earned another opportunity with a swinging volley winner. She converted the break when the Belarusian sent a forehand beyond the baseline.

The increasingly frustrated Sabalenka struggled to recover as Andreeva maintained control. A backhand error from the Belarusian handed Andreeva match point before the teenager sealed victory with a service winner.

The defeat marked another disappointing performance for 28-year-old Sabalenka, whose three titles this season include consecutive prestigious victories at Indian Wells and Miami, although she has not secured a Grand Slam trophy.

Making her sixth consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals, Sabalenka can still qualify for the semi-finals if she defeats Svitolina in their final round-robin match on Friday.

Svitolina Keeps Semi-Final Hopes Alive

Meanwhile, Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina recovered from a set down to defeat Muchova 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 and maintain her chances of reaching the semi-finals.

Svitolina, who won the WTA Finals title in 2018, had not returned to the elite season-ending tournament since 2019.

She struggled in the opening set against Muchova, who secured three breaks to take an early advantage.

However, Svitolina improved her performance in the second set, winning five consecutive games after trailing 2-1 to level the match.

“I was not happy with the first set. I didn’t play as well. I just made some adjustments, tactical adjustments,” Svitolina said.

She added that becoming more aggressive helped her turn the match around after being too passive in the opening set.

Muchova’s second round-robin defeat, combined with Andreeva’s victory over Sabalenka, ended the Czech player’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals.