Mirra Andreeva and Marta Kostyuk set for Madrid Open final after contrasting semifinal wins

Key facts

• Mirra Andreeva, 19, defeated Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) to reach her first Madrid Open final.
• Marta Kostyuk, 23, beat lucky loser Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 in the semifinals.
• Andreeva is the second-youngest finalist in tournament history, behind Caroline Wozniacki.
• Kostyuk refused to shake hands with her Russian-born opponent Potapova after the match.
• Andreeva has won 12 of 13 clay-court matches this season, with titles in Linz and a Stuttgart semifinal.
• The final is scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m. local time (4 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. EST).

Andreeva holds off Baptiste in tense semifinal

Mirra Andreeva reached her first Madrid Open final with a 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) victory over Hailey Baptiste on Friday. The 19-year-old Russian, seeded ninth, served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but was broken by the American, who then forced a tiebreak. Baptiste, who had defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the previous round, saved three set points before Andreeva finally closed out the win. "Honestly, I feel so much adrenaline inside. I feel like I'm still nervous. I'm just so happy that I won and that I was able to save all those set points," Andreeva said. "The serve helped me a lot. I'm so, so happy - I cannot really find ways to describe what I'm feeling right now." Andreeva becomes the second-youngest finalist in the tournament's history, behind only Caroline Wozniacki. She turned 19 on Wednesday, the day of her quarterfinal win.

Kostyuk overcomes second-set collapse to advance

Marta Kostyuk advanced to her first WTA 1000 final in an error-strewn match against lucky loser Anastasia Potapova. The 23-year-old Ukrainian won the first set 6-2 with two breaks of serve, then lost the second set 1-6 in just 30 minutes, appearing overmatched and uncompetitive. She rebounded emphatically in the decider, racing to a 4-0 lead and closing out the match 6-1. After the match, Kostyuk refused to shake hands with her Russian-born opponent, a gesture that has become common between Ukrainian and Russian players since the invasion of Ukraine. The win puts Kostyuk into her first career WTA 1000 final, where she will face Andreeva for the biggest title of her career.

Andreeva's clay-court dominance continues

Andreeva has been nearly unbeatable on clay this season. She has won 12 of her 13 matches on the surface, taking the title in Linz and reaching the semifinals in Stuttgart. She is the first teenager in WTA Tour history to reach three WTA 1000 finals before turning 20. In Madrid, she has also reached the doubles final with Diana Shnaider, keeping alive the possibility of a sweep. Her opponent, Kostyuk, has been surging simultaneously. The 26th seed has shown resilience throughout the tournament, recovering from a second-set dip in the semifinals to dominate the third set. The final promises to be a clash of contrasting styles and momentum.

Men's draw: Zverev, Sinner advance to semifinals

In the men's tournament, defending champion Casper Ruud was beaten in the quarter-finals by Belgian Alexander Blockx, 6-4, 6-4. Blockx, unseeded and ranked a career-high 69th, has knocked out four consecutive seeds, including third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime. The 21-year-old defeated Ruud in 96 minutes and will face Alexander Zverev in his first tour-level semi-final. Zverev, a two-time Madrid champion, won 6-1, 6-4 against Italian 10th seed Flavio Cobolli, who had beaten the German en route to the Munich final 12 days ago. Zverev has now reached the semi-finals in seven of his past eight Masters 1,000 tournaments. Top seed Jannik Sinner will face 21st seed Arthur Fils in Friday's other semi-final.

Outlook: Andreeva favorite but Kostyuk dangerous

Andreeva enters the final as the higher seed and with the momentum of a dominant clay-court season. Her ability to save set points and win tight tiebreaks shows composure beyond her years. However, Kostyuk has demonstrated her own resilience, bouncing back from a disastrous second set to win decisively. The Ukrainian's refusal to shake hands adds an emotional edge to the match. Saturday's final, scheduled for 5 p.m. local time, will determine whether Andreeva adds Madrid to her growing list of accomplishments or whether Kostyuk claims the biggest title of her career. Both players have defied expectations to reach this stage, ensuring a compelling contest.

The bottom line

• Mirra Andreeva, 19, is the first teenager to reach three WTA 1000 finals before turning 20.
• Marta Kostyuk, 23, reaches her first WTA 1000 final after a three-set win over Anastasia Potapova.
• Andreeva has won 12 of 13 clay-court matches this season, including titles in Linz and a Stuttgart semifinal.
• Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Potapova, a Russian-born player, after the match.
• The Madrid Open final is set for Saturday at 5 p.m. local time (4 p.m. BST, 11 a.m. EST).
• In the men's draw, Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner are among the semifinalists.