What Mirra Andreeva was thinking before sealing Madrid Open final spot against Hailey Baptiste

Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images Mirra Andreeva advanced to the Madrid Open final with a 6-4, 7-6 win over Hailey Baptiste. The match was tighter than the score suggests, with Baptiste saving a match point before forcing a second-set tiebreak. Andreeva held her nerve in the tiebreak, coming through 10-8 to clinch the win and reach her first final in Madrid.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Andreeva explained what she was telling herself during the crucial moments of her semi-final victory. Andreeva said that Baptiste would need to ‘do something extraordinary’ to beat her Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images “Honestly, I’m super happy that I was able to stay composed and focused, even though I had a couple of opportunities to close out the set without the tiebreak,” Andreeva said. “When it didn’t happen, I just told myself that if she is going to win the second set, she is going to have to do something extraordinary, because I’m not going to just let her win those points.

” She continued: “I feel like she was a little bit more brave closer to the end of the set. I also got a little bit more tight. I’m just happy that I was able to force myself to play brave and really go for my serves and my shots so that I would have more opportunities to close out this match.

” Andreeva’s serve proved crucial in key moments, particularly in the tie-break. She spoke about its impact on her game during her post-match interview. “I think so many free points were helpful,” Andreeva explained.