Brace yourself for what promises to be a thrilling Indian Wells semi-final clash between in-form teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva and defending champion Iga Swiatek on Friday.
The 17-year-old, who overcame the world No. 2 on her way to clinching her biggest title in Dubai and has won 10 matches in a row leading to their third encounter, aims for a repeat against a player whose last defeat in this tournament occurred two years ago.
Match preview
© Imago
If there were still any doubts regarding Andreeva's place among the elite, the teenager has demonstrated that her title at the Dubai Tennis Championships was no fluke, as evidenced by an additional four victories at the BNP Paribas Open, propelling her to a first semi-final at the WTA 1000 event.
Even the best players can struggle after significant successes, but this Russian has shown remarkable consistency, with her confidence and performance on the court a rarity for a teen.
After marking her 10th consecutive win with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Elina Svitolina on Thursday, Andreeva has yet to lose a set this week, improving her overall record to 17-3 for the season and aiming for an 18th win to continue her remarkable momentum.
Defeating Svitolina in the Californian desert not only allowed the ninth seed to surpass Victoria Azarenka's record as the youngest player to reach consecutive WTA 1000 semi-finals — 17 years and 318 days eclipsing Azarenka's feat at 19 years and 280 days — but she also became the first player to win 10 matches or more at such events before her 18th birthday.
Now, the Dubai champion faces the challenge of overcoming a woman whose ambition to become the first player to secure three titles at this tournament is stronger than ever.
© Imago
Swiatek may have dropped six games in her quarter-final triumph over Qinwen Zheng, but her 6-3, 6-3 victory was notably more comfortable for the 22-time WTA champion.
The defending champion led 5-1 in both sets before Zheng launched late comebacks in each to keep the score respectable.
Nonetheless, the Polish star could not be stopped from progressing to her fourth consecutive semi-final in this tournament, having reached this stage in 2022, 2023, 2024 and this season.
Two of the 23-year-old's runs to this point have ended with titles, with only one setback occurring in the 2023 semi-final, where she lost 6-2, 6-2 to that year's champion, Elena Rybakina.
Hoping to avoid a repeat of that defeat, the second seed, who has improved to 23-3 overall after defeating the Chinese No. 1, last dropped a set at Indian Wells during that semi-final loss to Rybakina two years ago, aiming for consecutive title matches to contend for a third crown in California.
Defeating Andreeva will certainly not be straightforward, especially after recently falling to the talented Russian in Dubai.
Tournament so far
Mirra Andreeva:
First round: Bye
Second round: vs. Varvara Gracheva 7-5 6-4
Third round: vs. Clara Tauson 6-3 6-0
Round of 16: vs. Elena Rybakina 6-1 6-2
Quarter-final: vs. Elina Svitolina 7-5 6-3
Iga Swiatek:
First round: Bye
Second round: vs. Caroline Garcia 6-2 6-0
Third round: vs. Dayana Yastremska 6-0 6-2
Round of 16: vs. Karolina Muchova 6-1 6-1
Quarter-final: vs. Qinwen Zheng 6-3 6-3
Head To Head
Dubai (2025) - Quarter-final: Andreeva 6-3 6-3
Cincinnati (2024) - Quarter-final: Swiatek 4-6 6-3 7-5
Having lost their first encounter in Cincinnati last year in three sets, Andreeva managed to defeat Swiatek in straight sets in Dubai, notably roaring back from 3-1 down in the second set to win 6-3, 6-3.
That victory ended the teenager's four-match losing streak against top-10 players, and she has since added consecutive wins over Rybakina, bringing her tally to seven victories against such opponents (7-9 overall).
The Russian player will have confidence in her ability to inflict a fourth defeat on Swiatek by players ranked outside the top 10 in 2025, following losses to Madison Keys (then No. 14) in Australia, Jelena Ostapenko (No. 37) in Doha and Andreeva (No. 14) in Dubai, having entered this season on a 21-match winning streak against such players.
Excluding semi-final victories at the BJK Cup Finals and United Cup, the Pole has suffered four consecutive defeats in singles at this stage since defeating Coco Gauff at the 2024 French Open; the 22-time titlist then fell to Zheng at the Paris Olympics, Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati, Keys Down Under, and Ostapenko in Doha, where she aimed for a three-peat.
Andreeva heads into Friday's match with a 3-2 record in such encounters, having notably secured significant wins in three of the last four since her first appearance at Roland Garros last year.
We say: Swiatek to win in three sets
It is easy to argue in favour of both players, with Swiatek currently on a 10-match winning streak in California, just two victories shy of a historic third Indian Wells title, while Andreeva is eager to secure her 11th consecutive win.
The Russian player's defensive skills and ability to extend rallies should serve her well against Swiatek, who has dominated every opponent in the desert.
While we lean towards backing the Polish star to end the 17-year-old's winning streak and advance to a title match for the first time in nearly a year, it is unlikely she will outplay the teenager in straight sets.
