Alexandrova knocks off Mirra Andreeva in Stuttgart
Agency :
In-form teenager Mirra Andreeva crashed out of the WTA event in Stuttgart on Thursday after going down in straight sets to fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16.
World number seven Andreeva, who already has two titles under her belt this season, lost 6-3, 6-2 against the 22nd-ranked Alexandrova in just over an hour.
Alexandrova will face Jessica Pegula of of the United States, who routed Magadalena Frech 6-1, 6-1, in the qurter-finals.
The 17-year-old Andreeva had defeated her elder sister Erika – who retired while trailing 6-2, 1-0 – in the previous round on Wednesday but Alexandrova quickly took control as she claimed her fourth win over a top-10 player this season.
In February, the 17-year-old Andreeva became the youngest winner of a WTA 1000 event in Dubai, beating Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina on her way to the crown.
She backed it up by winning at Indian Wells in March, coming from a set down to defeat world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Meanwhile, Italian fifth seed Jasmine Paolini beat German Jule Niemeier 6-1, 7-5 to reach the Stuttgart quarters for the second straight year on Thursday.
“I’m doing what I love, I think just be happy about it, try your best and enjoy,” said Paolini.
“That’s the key for me to play better. When I’m sad and complaining, I’m not that good.”
On Wednesday, world number two Swiatek won 6-2, 6-2 against Croatian qualifier Jana Fett in the last 16.
Swiatek broke her 153rd-ranked opponent twice in the first set and three times in the second.
The victory marked a return to winning ways for five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek as she bounced back from a surprise defeat to Alexandra Eala in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open in March.
“You need a lot of inner energy and a lot of motivation to get out every week and play as good as you can,” Swiatek said. “It’s not only about technique and tennis. It’s about mentality and the feelings you have inside.”
The Pole has twice won in Stuttgart, in 2022 and 2023. A third Stuttgart crown would be Swiatek’s first tournament victory in 2025.World number one Aryna Sabalenka is already assured of a spot in the last eight despite not yet taking to the court in Stuttgart.
Sabalenka received a first-round bye before her scheduled last-16 opponent Anastasia Potapova announced her retirement from the tournament due to injury on social media. The Belarusian has never won the title in Stuttgart.