Andreeva celebrates with fighting win into final

Mirra Andreeva helped herself to a one-day delayed 19th birthday present, ending the upset run of Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 7-6 (8) on Thursday at the Madrid Masters.

Andreeva, ranked eighth in the rankings, became the first teenager to ever advance into three finals at the elite Tour 1000 level, booking her spot with a WTA-leading 12th win of this clay season.

No matter the result of the final in the Spanish capital, Andreeva will advance a spot into seventh in the world.

Baptiste was coming off a shock  win over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka but was unable to repeat her giant-killing act on Andreeva, winner of 20 or 22 points in serve in the opening set.

Andreeva claimed the opening set with a break and took a 5-3 lead in the second set as she looked to be quietly wrapping up victory.

But Baptiste had other plans, with the No. 32 saving a match point in the ninth game and then wreaking to level at five games apiece and eventually, a tiebreak.

The American led 4-0 in the decider, with Andreeva taking the nail-biter to 4-all before Andreeva dug herself out of trouble by saving a pair of set points through a lob and an ace.

Andreeva finally prevailed on her third match point chance after just under one and three-quarter hours.

 “I feel so much adrenaline inside. I feel like I’m still nervous,” the winner said. “I’m so happy that I won and I was able to save all those set points. “I was very happy with the way I was able to serve. I cannot find a lot of words to describe how I am feeling right now.”