20yo Erika Andreeva (#70 WTA) defeats her 17yo sister Mirra Andreeva (#19) 6-3, 6-1 to reach the last 16 in Wuhan. A special moment.
Bragging rights go to Erika Andreeva in her all sibling battle with sister Mirra Andreeva who has a vastly higher ranking and has dazzled in the past 18 months but it is the first notch for the 20-year-old 6-3, 6-1
They were facing off for the first time in their fledgling careers with Mirra Andreeva of course only being 17 and has only been on tour for the last 18 months. The elder Andreeva, Erika hasn't been playing for much longer and has not found it as easy as her younger sister.
Sitting at World No.70, Erika continues to gather momentum and steam. But she was not an immediate out the blocks talent like Mirra was who many tout to be the next Maria Sharapova and a multiple Grand Slam winner.
But Erika will hope that it proves that she too can be seen as a talent to watch in the future while many gloss over her and onto Mirra who this week broke into the top 20 for the first time in her career.
It was a first sibling battle at least in the WTA since 2020 with the Williams sisters last facing off in Lexington. But it was dominated this time by Erika from straight to finish.
She went about her business in clinical fashion and taught a lesson to her younger sister who was erratic throughout the tie. But for both perhaps it was a complicated affair as facing your sister is never easy and perhaps contributed to Mirra's poor play. Albeit at times as she continues to find her feet she has a great result followed by a poor one. She lost to Qinwen Zheng last week in China after a promising start and it is an early exit this week in Wuhan as at least one Andreeva moves on.
20yo Erika Andreeva (#70 WTA) defeats her 17yo sister Mirra Andreeva (#19) 6-3, 6-1 to reach the last 16 in Wuhan. A special moment.