Elena Rybakina vs. Mirra Andreeva
When does a player cease to be the young version of herself, and turn into the full-fledged, adult version? Andreeva is just 17, but after two years on tour, she would seem to have graduated to adult status. She’s been to a Grand Slam semi, she’s closing in on the Top 10, and she made straight-set work of Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals in Dubai on Thursday.
The question isn’t just an academic one. Rybakina beat Andreeva in their only previous meeting, in Beijing in 2023, but the Russian was still in her learning-the-ropes phase back then. Will two years of experience be a difference-maker on Friday?
At this point, these two long and lean women would seem to be pretty evenly matched. Rybakina has a slight edge on the serve and forehand, but Andreeva has the edge when it comes to movement, athleticism, and her two-handed backhand. They’re sure to meet on bigger stages in the coming years, and possibly in 2025, which means this match could be a tone-setter. I’ll say that Andreeva will set the same type of tone, and make the same type of statement, that she just did against Swiatek. Winner: Andreeva
