Mirra Andreeva came from behind to beat third seed Iga Swiatek 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Stuttgart Open on April 18. The 18-year-old Russian advanced to the semifinals, where she will face top seed Elena Rybakina. Swiatek remained optimistic despite the loss, marking her fourth quarterfinal exit of the season.
Iga Swiatek, the third seed at the Stuttgart Open, started strongly by defeating Laura Siegemund in straight sets in the second round, breaking her opponent's serve five times. In the quarterfinals, however, the world No. 3 fell to sixth seed Mirra Andreeva in a match lasting 2 hours and 36 minutes. Swiatek took the first set 6-3 but lost the next two 4-6, 3-6 after leading 2-0 in the decider, as Andreeva won five straight games to secure victory. This was Andreeva's third win over Swiatek in four meetings, following triumphs in Dubai and Indian Wells last year, and her sixth career victory against a top-5 player. The win propelled the 18-year-old, who recently won the Linz Open and cracked the top 10, into her first Stuttgart semifinal. Swiatek, playing her first tournament under new coach Francisco Roig after parting with Wim Fissette following a first-round loss in Miami, trained beforehand with Roig and Rafael Nadal at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca. Post-match, she expressed optimism, saying, “Certainly, without more winning matches, this confidence will not come. This is a process, you have to rebuild it, play more games to make it work.” She added that she did not expect to play great in Stuttgart and enjoyed most of the match, though her serve faltered in the third set, preventing breaks on Andreeva. Andreeva credited her success to fearlessness, stating in her on-court interview, “I was just trying to be fearless. I was trying to go for my shots because I know when I’m getting tight, I tend to just put the ball in… just waiting, praying for the opponent to make a mistake.” Swiatek now turns to the Madrid Masters starting April 22, where she has a strong history, including the 2024 title.
