Mirra Andreeva booked a place in her first Grand Slam final on Thursday after defeating Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 in the French Open semifinals at Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris. The 19-year-old Russian completed the victory in straight sets and sealed the contest on her first match point while serving for the match. The win sends her into the biggest final of her career and ends Kostyuk’s impressive clay-court run this season.
“I am happy that I am in my first-ever Grand Slam final. All of these feelings combined, it is amazing. I just told myself no matter what happens, I am going to fight and give my best. With this kind of mindset, I ended up winning,โ she said after the match.ย
The semifinal carried added attention because of the political backdrop surrounding the matchup. Before play began, the customary joint pre-match photograph did not take place. Instead, both players were photographed separately on their respective sides of the net alongside children. Following the match, there was no handshake at the net either, with Kostyuk leaving the court after acknowledging spectators by waving and blowing kisses toward the crowd.
The Ukrainian player, along with compatriot Oleksandra Oliynykova, has earlier spoken on the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. That ultimately played a part in the duo not acknowledging each other.ย
Andreeva saved three break points in first set
When it comes to on-court action, Andreeva overcame an early challenge when she saved three break points in her opening service game. That escape proved significant as she quickly took control of the opening set, building a commanding lead through aggressive shot-making from the baseline. Kostyuk managed to get on the scoreboard after a lengthy stretch of pressure, but the first set soon slipped away.
Meanwhile, the match was played under sunny conditions with the roof open when action began shortly after 3 p.m. Conditions later changed as the roof was closed during the second set. The adjustment briefly aided Kostyuk, who recovered a break and narrowed the deficit to 4-3, drawing strong support from spectators inside the stadium.
The momentum shift proved temporary. Andreeva regained control immediately, breaking serve again before finishing the contest to halt Kostyuk’s 16-match winning streak on clay.
“Obviously, she (Kostyuk) has had an amazing season. Until this match, she has not lost a match on clay. She is an amazing player and a very tough opponent,โ Andreeva said.
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