Like last week in Doha, a new WTA 1000 champion will be crowned on Saturday when Clara Tauson and teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva tussle in the Dubai Tennis Championships final.
The 17-year-old, fresh off taking out Elena Rybakina in a thrilling semi-final to secure consecutive top-10 wins, is the youngest-ever player to compete in a match of this significance, but she faces an in-form opponent whose 15th victory of the season, defeating Karolina Muchova in two hours and 52 minutes, means no player has more wins in 2025.
Match preview
At 17 years and 298 days, Andreeva's stunning three-set win over Rybakina saw the Russian become the youngest player to advance to a WTA 1000 final since the format's introduction in 2009.
The teenager has advanced to Saturday's decider, clinching consecutive top-10 wins over Iga Swiatek in the quarters and the sixth seed in the semis, with both victories seeing the 14th seed fight back from 1-3 deficits to claim set two against the Pole before doing likewise against Friday's opponent in a nail-biting deciding set.
By deflating the world No. 7's spirits with her execution on the big points and top-drawer passing shots, Andreeva sealed a third win this week over former Grand Slam champions — beating Marketa Vondrousova (Wimbledon 2023) in round two, Swiatek (five-time Slam winner) and Rybakina (Wimbledon 2022) — to emulate Maria Sharapova's 2004 WTA Finals feat of being the youngest player to beat such opponents in the same tournament.
Now, the precociously talented teenager aims to clinch a first 1000-level title in her maiden appearance in a final by defeating Tauson in their first match-up on tour.
Although she might have finally dropped a set on Friday, and was pushed into a two-hour match for the first time, the 17-year-old has improved to 5-1 in Dubai and 12-3 for the season; however, her 12 wins fall three shy of Saturday's in-form opponent.
Tauson packs a punch with her cracking serve and impressive ball-striking, which aided Friday's thrilling three-setter against Muchova that ebbed and flowed until the Danish player sealed a 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 triumph.
The upshot of edging the two-hour 52-minute tussle means Tauson has moved one victory above Australian Open champion Madison Keys and Swiatek with her 15th triumph in 2025, with the latest taking her into the biggest title match of her career.
The Danish star's all-or-nothing on-court approach has also seen her rack up the most winners this season (482), eclipsing Keys's 481; the 22-year-old aims to execute as decisively as she has done this week in outlasting 17-time WTA champion Elina Svitolina in the second round and out-hitting top-seed Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in round three.
Much will depend on Tauson not feeling the effects of two drawn-out tussles en route to her first 1000 title clash, having spent nearly three hours on court in two matches in Dubai — against Svitolina and Muchova.
Having not made a championship match in four years, Tauson has now advanced to two in the opening months of the 2025 season, and the Danish player aims to improve to 2-0 in such finals at Andreeva's expense.
Tournament so far
Clara Tauson:
First round: vs. Rebecca Sramkova 7-6[7] 6-0
Second round: vs. Elina Svitolina 7-6[5] 3-6 7-6[4]
Third round: vs. Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 6-2
Quarter-final: vs. Linda Noskova 7-6[4] 6-4
Semi-final: vs. Karolina Muchova 6-4 6-7[4] 6-3
Mirra Andreeva:
First round: vs. Elina Avanesyan 6-2 6-1
Second round: vs. Marketa Vondrousova 7-5 6-0
Third round: vs. Peyton Stearns 6-1 6-1
Quarter-final: vs. Iga Swiatek 6-3 6-3
Semi-final: vs. Elena Rybakina 6-4 4-6 6-3
Head To Head
Both players face off for the first time on tour, with the winner taking a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head and clinching the second WTA 1000 title this year.
All tour-level finals Tauson has been involved in have been on hard courts, where the 22-year-old holds a 3-1 win-loss record — 2-0 this season — though Naomi Osaka retired before set two in Auckland despite claiming the opening set.
Andreeva is 1-1 in title matches, clinching her maiden WTA crown on the clay courts of Iasi last July before falling in three sets to Daria Kasatkina in Ningbo.
We say: Andreeva to win in three sets
With a combined age of 39 years and 351 days, Saturday's final between Tauson and Andreeva will be the youngest involving WTA 1000 finalists since 2009.
Both women have never made it to this level, meaning neither has prior experience to lean on ahead of the second 1000-level final of the season.
However, having passed her Rybakina test — a big-serving player and hard-hitting ball-striker — Andreeva will back herself to clinch the crown at the Middle East event.
This one could go to three sets, but the Russian teenager, who has spent significantly less time on the court, should clinch the Dubai title.
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