Adelaide: Mirra Andreeva continued her impressive start to the season by capturing the Adelaide International title, defeating fellow teenager Victoria Mboko 6–3, 6–1 to build momentum ahead of the Australian Open.
The 18-year-old Russian found herself trailing 3–0 early in the opening set against Mboko, who had enjoyed a standout run to the final, including a quarterfinal win over defending champion Madison Keys and a semifinal victory against Kimberly Birrell.
From that slow start, however, Andreeva took complete control of the match. Once settled, the World No. 8 rattled off nine straight games and claimed 12 of the final 13, wrapping up the contest in just 64 minutes. The dominant performance secured Andreeva her fourth career WTA Tour title and her first at the WTA 500 level.
Andreeva’s confident play was evident throughout the week, not just in the final. Over four matches in Adelaide, she registered 21 service breaks across just 63 games. Her serving was equally effective, winning 89 of 125 first-serve points, slightly above 71%, WTA reports.
That level held firm in the championship match, where she broke Mboko five times and won 75% of her first-serve points, along with 67% on her second serve. She finished with 15 winners against 11 unforced errors, showcasing her composure and balance off both wings to keep Mboko under constant pressure.
The Adelaide trophy adds to an already decorated resume that includes a WTA 250 title and two WTA 1000 singles crowns. Andreeva also owns WTA 1000 and WTA 500 doubles titles, as well as a silver medal in doubles from the 2024 Paris Olympics, all achieved alongside partner Diana Shnaider.
With the win, Andreeva is set to climb one place to No. 7 in the PIF WTA Rankings, moving ahead of Jasmine Paolini.
Despite the defeat, Mboko leaves Adelaide with plenty of positives. The loss marked her first setback in a WTA final after winning her first two, and the Canadian will rise to a career-high No. 16 heading into her Australian Open debut on Monday, where she is scheduled to face Australia’s Emerson Jones.
There is some concern around Mboko’s physical condition, as she required a medical timeout during the second set and later acknowledged she was not fully fit.
“Sorry I couldn’t be 100%, but I want to give a huge congrats to Mirra for playing incredible tennis today and her team, of course, too. So thank you.”
Andreeva will also begin her Australian Open campaign on Monday, taking on Donna Vekic. She has reached the fourth round in Melbourne in each of the past two seasons.
(IANS)
