In a stunning echo of history, 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva etched her name into the Dubai Tennis Championships record books last week. Super talented Russian becameonly the second teenager to claim the coveted title since Rafael Nadal did so in 2006!
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Nineteen years ago, Nadal became the first teenager to conquer Dubai following a thrilling victory over Roger Federer in the title clash. Andreeva followed that feat following a stellar run, defeating two top-10 rivals and cracking the top-10!
Mirra made a reliable start in Dubai. The 17-year-old dropped ten games in the opening six sets, defeating three rivals from outside the top-35 and entering the quarter-final. She faced world no. 2 Iga Swiatek and earned a notable 6-3, 6-3 victory.
The young gun earned a double break in the opening set before trailing 3-1 in the second. Andreeva took charge and rattled off 20 of the final 25 points, leaving world no. 2 powerless and moving over the top with five straight games on her tally.
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Andreeva faced world no. 7 Elena Rybakina in the semi-final and prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 for a place in the final. Mirra secured a double break in the opener and forged an early advantage. They stayed neck and neck in the second set before Rybakina clinched a break at 5-4 to force a decider.
Elena clinched the first break of the final set and led 3-1. Like against Swiatek, Mirra turned the tables and claimed five games in a row. The 17-year-old denied four break points in the eighth game and stole her rival's serve three times in a row to secure another notable win.
A teenager faced Clara Tauson in the title clash and earned a 7-6, 6-1 victory to become the youngest champion in Dubai. They traded two pair of breaks in the opening set and stayed neck and neck. The Dane struggled physically and dropped the tie break 7-1.
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The Russian gained a boost and took the final five games of the match, becoming the youngest champion at the WTA 1000 level since Maria Sharapova in Tokyo 2005! Her title also made us remember Rafael Nadal's 2006 campaign.
The 19-year-old world no. 2 reached the final and faced world no. 1 Roger Federer. Rafa ousted Roger 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, turning the tables after the opener and ending the Swiss' incredible 56-match winning hard-court streak. The young gun sealed the deal in an hour and 53 minutes.
He played only his second tournament after a severe foot injury and went all the way to claim his 13th ATP title at 19. Roger dominated the opener and claimed seven points more than Rafa. However, Nadal secured breaks in the ninth games of sets two and three to make a difference.
Rafa stayed in touch with the three-time winner in the shortest exchanges and outplayed him in the mid-range ones. Federer had the upper hand in the most advanced exchanges, which was not enough to earn the fourth consecutive Dubai crown.
