Rybakina surges past Andreeva to reach third final of 2026 in Stuttgart Elena Rybakina advanced to her third final of 2026 after defeating Mirra Andreeva in straight sets during the Stuttgart semifinals on Saturday. The 2024 champion, who had endured a grueling three-hour quarterfinal against Leylah Fernandez the previous day, showcased resilience by overcoming fatigue and securing a 7-5, 6-1 victory in 1 hour and 17 minutes. The win sets up a final showdown against Karolina Muchova, who advanced to the final by defeating Elina Svitolina in three sets. Rybakina’s semifinal performance was marked by her ability to maintain composure and capitalize on critical moments. The match began with a tightly contested first set, where Andreeva, the 18-year-old qualifier, took an early lead with a forehand return winner. However, Rybakina broke back to take a 4-2 advantage, only for Andreeva to respond with a break of her own. Rybakina then held at love to take the first set, 6-5, and continued her dominance in the second set. She broke Andreeva for 2-0 after a five-deuce game, extending her lead to 5-0 before sealing the victory with a love hold. The win ended Andreeva’s undefeated streak in the clay season and kept Rybakina’s pursuit of a second Stuttgart title alive. The 2024 champion finished the match with 23 winners, 18 unforced errors, and an impressive 83% of first-serve points won. Rybakina credited her aggressive approach and serve for the victory, stating, “In these important moments, my serve worked and I stayed aggressive. Then in the second set being up, I was more free to hit, to step in, to play even more aggressive.” Muchova’s path to the final was equally notable. The Czech player defeated Svitolina in three sets, marking her first career victory over the Ukrainian star.#elena_rybakina #mirra_andreeva #karolina_muchova #stuttgart #porsche
