DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Mirra Andreeva, a 17-year-old tennis prodigy, has made history by becoming the youngest athlete to secure a spot in the finals of the Dubai Championships. In a thrilling semifinal match on Friday, she overcame Elena Rybakina with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Andreeva faced a challenging moment when she fell behind 3-1 in the deciding third set. However, she displayed remarkable resilience, rallying to win the final five games, thus propelling her to her second tour final, the first being last July in Iasi, Romania. “Regardless of whether I lose badly or win narrowly, my focus remains on executing my shots and performing at my best,” Andreeva stated.

In the other semifinal, Clara Tauson from Denmark, who previously eliminated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, triumphed over Karolina Muchova with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3. Tauson, currently ranked 38th, has already secured a title in Auckland this year and leads the tour with 15 match victories.

Andreeva’s impressive performance this week has positioned her on the verge of breaking into the top 10 rankings, marking her as the youngest competitor within the top 100. She has achieved the remarkable feat of defeating three Grand Slam champions in a single tournament, including Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and Marketa Vondrousova, a milestone not seen since Maria Sharapova did so in 2004 at the WTA Finals.

Following her match, Rybakina acknowledged Andreeva’s potential, stating, “She has a bright future ahead of her and can definitely be a formidable opponent.” The unseeded Rybakina, however, struggled with her game, accumulating 50 unforced errors throughout the match.