Ekaterina Alexandrova vs. Mirra Andreeva — China Open 2026 Quarterfinal Match Report
Third time lucky, and this one comes with a considerable reward.
After losing their first two meetings, Mirra Andreeva finally defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova, surviving two tight sets and two tiebreaks for a 7-6(4), 7-6(3) victory in the China Open quarterfinals.
The win sends Andreeva into the Beijing semifinals and lifts her to a new career high of world No. 4, moving past Coco Gauff. Jessica Pegula at No. 3 is now within touching distance.
It was not Andreeva’s most dominant performance of the tournament. It may have been one of her most valuable.
Andreeva Starts Fast but Alexandrova Turns the Set Around
Andreeva made the first move immediately.
She broke Alexandrova in the opening game and consolidated for 2-0.
Alexandrova steadied herself with a hold for 1-2, but Andreeva answered to move ahead 3-1.
For a while, the break looked secure.
Then Alexandrova began to find her range.
She held for 2-3 and broke Andreeva to level at 3-3. A hold followed for 4-3, and suddenly the momentum had reversed completely.
Alexandrova broke again for 5-3 and served for the set.
Andreeva refused to let it go.
She broke back for 5-4, held for 5-5 and forced the set toward a tiebreak after both players protected serve one more time.
There, Ekaterina Alexandrova produced a few brilliant points but mixed in two backhand errors as well. In the end, Andreeva was the calmer player.
She took the tiebreak 7-4 with a fierce backhand winner into the corner, her best shot of the breaker, and stole a set that Alexandrova had briefly appeared ready to control.
Set 1 at a Glance
- Even scoreboard: Each player held four of six service games and broke twice, so the set went to 6-6. The edge was in the pressure points, where Andreeva won 8 of 13 (62%).
- Winners and errors: Alexandrova hit twice as many winners as Andreeva (16 to 8) but also made twice as many unforced errors (22 to 11). Andreeva stayed patient and let Alexandrova’s high-risk game decide the rallies.
- First serve: Andreeva won 69% of her first-serve points (18 of 26), against 52% for Alexandrova (13 of 25). Andreeva was more secure on her first ball and won 45 of the 83 points in the 53-minute set.
Full Set 1 Stats
| Alexandrova | Statistic | Andreeva |
|---|---|---|
| Set 1 Duration: 0h53m | ||
| 0.81 | Dominance Ratio | 1.24 |
| 16 | Winners | 8 |
| 22 | Unforced Errors | 11 |
| 238 | Serve Rating | 252 |
| 3 | Aces | 1 |
| 3 | Double Faults | 1 |
| 60% (25/42) | 1st Serve % | 63% (26/41) |
| 52% (13/25) | 1st Serve Points Won | 69% (18/26) |
| 59% (10/17) | 2nd Serve Points Won | 53% (8/15) |
| 50% (2/4) | Break Points Saved | 60% (3/5) |
| 151 | Return Rating | 172 |
| 31% (8/26) | 1st Return Points Won | 48% (12/25) |
| 47% (7/15) | 2nd Return Points Won | 41% (7/17) |
| 2/5 | Break Points Won | 2/4 |
| 38 | Total Points Won | 45 |
Alexandrova Serves for the Second Set and Still Cannot Finish It
Andreeva again moved ahead first in the second set.
After three opening holds, she broke Alexandrova for 3-1 and consolidated to lead 4-1.
Alexandrova stayed close enough to remain dangerous.
She held for 2-4, Andreeva answered for 5-2, and Alexandrova kept herself alive at 3-5.
Then the match swung again.
Andreeva served for the match at 5-4 and was broken.
Alexandrova held for 6-5 and suddenly Andreeva was serving to stay in the set.
This time the world No. 5 responded.
She broke back immediately to force another tiebreak.
Once again, the breaker belonged to Andreeva.
She took it 7-3 on an unforced Alexandrova-error, ending a match in which Alexandrova had twice created genuine opportunities to change its direction.
Set 2 at a Glance
- Another breaker: For the second set running, both players held four of six service games and broke twice, and Andreeva again won 8 of the 13 pressure points. Overall she won 45 of the 88 points to Alexandrova’s 43.
- Andreeva’s errors: Andreeva made only 5 unforced errors to Alexandrova’s 13 while hitting 16 winners, almost matching Alexandrova’s 18. That is a striking ratio for a set that lasted more than an hour.
- Andreeva’s second serve: It was her weak point today. She won only 7 of 19 second-serve points (37%) and added two double faults, while Alexandrova went after the second ball and won 63% of those return points.
Full Set 2 Stats
| Alexandrova | Statistic | Andreeva |
|---|---|---|
| Set 2 Duration: 1h02m | ||
| 0.99 | Dominance Ratio | 1.01 |
| 18 | Winners | 16 |
| 13 | Unforced Errors | 5 |
| 243 | Serve Rating | 239 |
| 2 | Aces | 3 |
| 0 | Double Faults | 2 |
| 59% (23/39) | 1st Serve % | 61% (30/49) |
| 65% (15/23) | 1st Serve Points Won | 73% (22/30) |
| 50% (8/16) | 2nd Serve Points Won | 37% (7/19) |
| 33% (1/3) | Break Points Saved | 60% (3/5) |
| 163 | Return Rating | 185 |
| 27% (8/30) | 1st Return Points Won | 35% (8/23) |
| 63% (12/19) | 2nd Return Points Won | 50% (8/16) |
| 2/5 | Break Points Won | 2/3 |
| 43 | Total Points Won | 45 |
Andreeva’s First Serve Wins the Match
Alexandrova actually produced the larger winner total, 34 to 24.
But she also committed 35 unforced errors.
Andreeva made only 16.
That difference was decisive.
| Alexandrova | Statistic | Andreeva |
|---|---|---|
| Full Match Duration: 1h55m | ||
| 0.90 | Dominance Ratio | 1.11 |
| 34 | Winners | 24 |
| 35 | Unforced Errors | 16 |
| 241 | Serve Rating | 245 |
| 5 | Aces | 4 |
| 3 | Double Faults | 3 |
| 59% (48/81) | 1st Serve % | 62% (56/90) |
| 58% (28/48) | 1st Serve Points Won | 71% (40/56) |
| 55% (18/33) | 2nd Serve Points Won | 44% (15/34) |
| 43% (3/7) | Break Points Saved | 60% (6/10) |
| 158 | Return Rating | 177 |
| 29% (16/56) | 1st Return Points Won | 42% (20/48) |
| 56% (19/34) | 2nd Return Points Won | 45% (15/33) |
| 4/10 | Break Points Won | 4/7 |
| 81 | Total Points Won | 90 |
The first-serve numbers also favored Andreeva. She won 71 percent of first-serve points, compared with Alexandrova’s 58 percent.
Both players broke four times, but Andreeva was stronger when the match compressed into its most important moments. She won 16 of 26 pressure points, compared with Alexandrova’s 10.
The dominance ratios, 1.11 for Andreeva and 0.90 for Alexandrova, reflected a contest that remained close but tilted toward the player who made fewer poor decisions.
Third Time Finally Belongs to Andreeva
Andreeva came into Beijing having lost their previous two meetings.
This time she found the answer.
Not by overwhelming Alexandrova.
By staying in the match whenever the Prague-based threatened to take control.
She recovered from 3-5 in the first set.
Then, she recovered after failing to serve out the second.
She then won both tiebreaks without having to force things.
It shows Andreeva can absorb momentum shifts without losing the match with them.
World No. 4 and Still Moving
The ranking reward is immediate.
Andreeva climbs to a new career high of No. 4, moving above Coco Gauff.
Jessica Pegula at No. 3 is now close enough to become part of the conversation as well.
For a 19-year-old who has already spent much of 2026 proving she belongs among the very best players in the game, Beijing is becoming another important marker.
Next comes Nikola Bartunkova, the 20-year-old Czech who has already removed Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Muchova during an extraordinary run of her own.
If Andreeva wins that semifinal, Beijing will represent more than another deep tournament.
It will be another unmistakable step forward in a career that is already moving very quickly toward the top.