Teenager Mirra Andreeva will contest her first grand slam final on Saturday after easing to victory against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk at the French Open.
The 19-year-old Russian has been through some emotional ups and downs over the last year but it had always seemed a question of when rather than if she would challenge for a major title.
Andreeva handled this occasion with total aplomb, ending Kostyuk’s 17-match unbeaten run on clay with a 6-1 6-3 victory.
When Kostyuk’s final forehand flew long, Andreeva threw her racket in the air in celebration.
“I’m still very, very nervous,” said the eighth seed. “I was very nervous coming into this match, she’s had an amazing season. She’s an amazing player, very tough opponent and I’m just super happy.
“First of all I’m super happy with the way I played, super happy I got revenge from the Madrid final and I’m happy that I’m in my first ever grand slam final.
“I’ve never felt anything like this before and I’m just very happy about this last match here in Paris.”
The undercurrent of political tension that has flowed through women’s tennis since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago has raged fiercely again here.
Kostyuk was in tears after her first match and came into the press conference room with a picture of the aftermath of a missile strike near her family home in Kyiv on her phone.
More attacks prompted the 23-year-old to dedicate her quarter-final win over compatriot Elina Svitolina to “the Ukrainian people and their resilience”, and she was scathing about Russian players who do not call out their government.
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“I don’t know how you can sleep at night peacefully when you know that this is going on and you have nothing to say about it,” said Kostyuk.
She was the first Ukrainian woman in the open era to reach the semi-finals here and, whether it was the opponent across the net, the magnitude of the occasion or the blustery conditions, Kostyuk made a poor start.
Double faults and wild errors contributed to her losing the first four games and, although she survived a long fifth game on serve, Andreeva wrapped up the set in only 33 minutes.
The Russian may only have turned 19 a month ago but she already had experience of this stage, having reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros two years ago.
On that occasion she was well beaten by Jasmine Paolini but Andreeva, the highest seed left in this wild tournament, looked right at home, playing intelligently in the wind and applying relentless pressure to Kostyuk.
This was their third meeting of the year, with Kostyuk having won the other two, including in the final of the Madrid Open last month, but she could find no foothold here and Andreeva swept into a 3-0 lead in the second set.
At 4-1, a lifeline arrived for Kostyuk with the closing of the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier as thunder rumbled outside.
The flatter hitting of the Ukrainian is more difficult to control in the wind but suddenly conditions were predictable and she pulled two games back.
However, Andreeva was not about to let the moment slip through her fingers and she wrapped up victory after only an hour and 16 minutes.
