DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In a surprising turn of events at the Dubai Championships, Iga Swiatek, currently ranked No. 2, faced an unexpected defeat against the young Mirra Andreeva. The 17-year-old Andreeva triumphed with a score of 6-3, 6-3 during their quarterfinal match on Thursday, earning her a spot as the youngest semifinalist in the tournament’s 24-year history.

Swiatek had previously won their only encounter last August in Cincinnati, where she came back from losing the first set to secure victory with a final score of 7-5 in the third. However, this time, she dropped the opening set and managed to gain a break in the second, only to see Andreeva perform impressively and claim the last five games of the match.

“I felt nervous ahead of the match,” admitted Andreeva, currently ranked No. 14. “I reminded myself of my solid performance in our last matchup and focused on maintaining my aggressive style of play.” With this victory, Andreeva marked her fifth win against a top-10 opponent, having previously defeated No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals at last year’s French Open.

Looking ahead, Andreeva is set to compete against sixth-seeded Elena Rybakina, who has demonstrated her skill by outplaying Sofia Kenin with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (2), thus maintaining an undefeated record against the American player.

Additionally, Clara Tauson, the Danish player who eliminated Sabalenka in the previous round, achieved a win over Linda Noskova from the Czech Republic, finishing the match at 7-6 (4), 6-4 to reach her third semifinal of the year. Tauson will face Karolina Muchova, who secured her place in the semifinals by defeating Sorana Cirstea with a score of 6-2, 7-5.