China Open: Mirra Andreeva Beats Nikola Bartunkova To Reach Final, Secures World No.3 Ranking

China Open: Mirra Andreeva beats Nikola Bartunkova to reach final, secures World No.3 ranking (New York: US Open 2026 - Womens Singles)

Mirra Andreeva:  Russian tennis star Mirra Andreeva defeated Nikola Bartunkova in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, in the China Open semifinal to advance to the final in Beijing for the first time on Saturday.

With the win, World No.5 Andreeva is also set to become the No.3-ranked player in the world in the rankings update on Monday. She eased past Czechia's Bartunkova in one hour and 14 minutes to secure her path to her fourth WTA 1000 final and her first in Beijing.

"I'm very happy and excited to be in the finals," Andreeva told the media after the win. "I think I played very well today. I'm super happy with the way I was playing. Of course, Nikola is a very tricky opponent. We had a tough match at the US Open. But I'm super happy I won today."

Andreeva highlighted that she has been putting in the hard yards with her team on a few aspects of her game. She has also secured a place in the season-ending WTA Finals.

"We've been working on returning a lot," she added. "Every practice that I have, we're trying to improve everything, but also to work on return because I feel like even if the opponent serves well, you still have to try and put some pressure on the server. I feel like the work is paying off little by little. So super happy with those numbers. Conchita will be even happier because it was her initiative. We'll just continue improving (smiling)."

She is now set to play the final on Sunday, which will be her fifth of the season. She has now levelled Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula for the most appearances in the finals in 2026 on the WTA Tour.

"We've been working on returning a lot," she added. "Every practice that I have, we're trying to improve everything, but also to work on return because I feel like even if the opponent serves well, you still have to try and put some pressure on the server. I feel like the work is paying off little by little. So super happy with those numbers. Conchita will be even happier because it was her initiative. We'll just continue improving (smiling)."

Article Source: IANS