Aryna Sabalenka got a tennis lesson from Mirra Andreeva at the WTA Finals and she lost her cool well before the end of a one-sided competition.
Sabalenka appeared to be taking control as she quickly exploded out of the blocks, but a remarkable run of points saw Andreeva win 20 of the final 23 points to win the first set.
Andreeva then won 11 of the first 13 points of the second set to take complete control of the match and she recorded a 6-4, 6-0 victory to book her place in the semi-finals in Indian Wells.
“It was a shock for Sabelenka,” said Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend. “It was a beating. I don’t know how Sabelenka gets over it.
Final analysis confirmed that world number 3 Andreeva needed just one hour and two minutes to dismantle Sabalenka, with world number 2 Sabalenka winning just 31% of her second service points.
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Incredibly, Sabalenka won only 28 of the 85 points played in the match, with Andreeva surprised by the ease of her victory.
“She played very well at the beginning,” Andreeva said. “She’s a big hitter and she likes to hit hard. She’s definitely one of the most aggressive players on tour, so I had to find my rhythm.
“After the first four or five games, I was finding my game and I’m so happy I did what I had to do until the very end.
“I feel like Aryna didn’t have her best day on the field because she doesn’t normally make that many mistakes in a normal day. So I feel like I can’t take all the credit for today.”
Andreeva’s modest assessment of the match should not disguise the fact that it was a sparkling performance from the 19-year-old.
While Sabalenka was not at her best and seemed to be struggling with a knee problem, she was also largely outclassed by her younger rival.
Sabalenka was rushing into matches well before the match ended as she seemed to lose confidence in her ability to compete with Andreeva.
This leaves Sabalenka with the difficult task of trying to regain her form and confidence for a final group stage match against Elina Svitolina, where a victory will see her advance to the semi-finals.
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