Erika Andreeva posted a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over eighth-seeded Despina Papamichail in the first round of the WTA 125 tournament in Kitzbuhel.
The 21-year-old Russian controlled the match from the start and broke serve six times. Papamichail, ranked No. 167, won only 47 percent of first-serve points and 25 percent of second-serve points while committing four double faults.
This victory marked Andreeva's third win of the season and came in her fifth WTA event of 2026. She had previously recorded a first-round qualifying win at Wimbledon over Yexin Ma before losing to Kayla Day.
Andreeva spoke openly about a four-month mental health break she took in 2025 after a string of losses. “I wasn’t mentally in the right place,” she said in a June interview with the WTA Tour. “I felt like I’m not good enough.”
Her ranking has climbed from No. 362 in February to No. 231. Andreeva is scheduled to face Mia Ristic in the second round.