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Mirra Andreeva handed Iga Swiatek a 6-3, 6-3 loss on Thursday as the teenaged winner booked the first WTA 1000-level semi-final of her career with the upset in Dubai.
The 17-year-old Andreeva, coached by former Spanish Wimbledon winner Conchita Martinez and a French Open semi-finalist last year, advanced in 88 minutes firing 10 aces and breaking the former world No 1 four times.
The loss was the fourth of the season for Swiatek, who reached the 2024 semi-finals in the emirate and played the final here two years ago.
“I was really nervous before the match,” the 12th-seeded winner said. “(Our only other match in) Cincinnati was pretty intense.
“I told myself just to pay aggressive and go for my shots.”
Andreeva recovered from 1-3 down in the second set but worked not to change her strategy.
“My coach said to go for it and don’t change anything, play the same. But sometimes it’s harder for me to do that (since) I want to change something..”
Andreeva last in the Dubai first round a year ago. “I’m super-excited to be in my first 1000 semi-final.”
The teenaged winner backed up her defeat last season over another world No. 2 when she beat now-No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Roland Garros quarter-finals.
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