Rybakina Reaches Stuttgart Final vs Muchova After Beating Andreeva

Elena Rybakina advanced to the final of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, on Saturday by defeating sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-1, setting up a championship match against seventh-seeded Karolina Muchova. The top-seeded Kazakhstani, who won the 2026 Australian Open, showcased her form on the indoor clay courts despite a grueling schedule earlier in the week.

Rybakina, the world No. 2, overcame any fatigue from her three-hour quarterfinal victory over Leylah Fernandez on Friday, which ended late at night. Against Andreeva, the 18-year-old Russian who entered with a 7-0 clay record this season after winning in Linz, Rybakina traded breaks in a competitive first set before breaking serve at 6-5 to take it. She then dominated the second set, racing to a 5-0 lead and winning in 77 minutes total. Rybakina converted 21 of 25 first-serve points and capitalized on Andreeva's second serves, snapping a two-match losing streak to the teenager.

"First set, we were going pretty even," Rybakina said. "I had some opportunities to go up but didn't take them. But I'm happy that in these important moments, my serve worked and I stayed aggressive. Then in the second set...