Elena Rybakina halted Mirra Andreeva’s surge in Stuttgart with a performance that shifted from measured control to outright authority, sealing a 7-5, 6-1 win to book her place in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final.
Against a teenager who had already beaten her twice in 2025, Rybakina absorbed early pressure, then steadily imposed a higher level—particularly once the match tilted in her favour late in the opening set.
Late first-set strike sets the tone
The opening exchanges carried the tension expected of a semi-final with recent history. Andreeva’s willingness to step into second serves and dictate from the baseline kept Rybakina from settling early, even as the Kazakh’s first serve remained a reliable source of points.
At 4-2, Rybakina secured the first break of the match, only for Andreeva to respond immediately when the first serve percentage dipped. The set reset to parity, and for a time, neither player was able to create sustained separation.
That changed at 5-5.
Rybakina, increasingly precise off the return, stepped in to apply scoreboard pressure and broke at the decisive moment to avoid a tie-break. A composed hold to love followed, underlining the shift: from reactive to assertive.
Rybakina pulls away with ruthless second set
Where the first set required patience, the second was built on clarity.
Rybakina carried momentum straight into the restart, holding quickly before striking on her fourth break point in a grinding return game. From there, the match moved decisively in one direction.
Her serving numbers created a clear divide—winning 64% of points behind it compared to Andreeva’s 44%—while her depth on return consistently pushed the Russian behind the baseline. A second break soon followed, opening a 4-0 lead that effectively ended the contest as a competitive exchange.
Andreeva briefly delayed the inevitable with a hold, but the resistance was short-lived. Rybakina closed with the same control she had established, serving out the match without complication.
Statement win ahead of final
For Andreeva, the defeat ends a strong run that included notable wins earlier in the week, but the semi-final exposed the margins against an opponent able to sustain pressure across phases.
For Rybakina, it was a performance of progression within the match itself—weathering early resistance, then tightening execution at precisely the right time.
The reward is a place in the Stuttgart final, where she arrives with momentum firmly on her side.