Elena Rybakina secured her place in the championship match of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix after dispatching 18‑year‑old Russian prospect Mirra Andreeva with a straight‑sets victory of 7‑5, 6‑1 on Saturday afternoon in Stuttgart. The win propels the 2026 Australian Open champion into a final showdown against Karolina Muchova, scheduled for Sunday and set to be broadcast live from midday on Sky Sports Tennis. The semi‑final was a tightly contested affair in the opening set, with both athletes exchanging service breaks and testing each other's resolve. Andreeva, despite her youth, displayed remarkable poise, pushing Rybakina to the brink and forcing the seasoned Kazakh to dig deep.
However, Rybakina’s extensive experience on the WTA circuit eventually tipped the balance in her favour, allowing her to clinch the first set and take a 1‑0 lead in the match. Once ahead, the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix champion shifted gears dramatically. She surged out of the gate in the second set, claiming the first five games in rapid succession and never looking back.
Her dominant performance in the latter set underscored her superior fitness and tactical acumen, culminating in a composed, decisive victory that left little doubt about her readiness for the final. "It feels great, I'm super happy," Rybakina said in the post‑match interview. "I missed this tournament last year, so it means a lot to be back in the final." She also opened up about the grueling schedule that preceded the semi‑final.
After a marathon three‑hour quarter‑final against Leylah Fernandez, Rybakina admitted she stayed up until 2 a.m. on Friday night, only managing to catch a few hours of sleep before the next day's challenge. "I'm pretty satisfied with my performance after a three‑hour match yesterday," she added.
"I managed to get some rest, we did a normal warm‑up and reviewed the game plan. I'm thrilled with how things turned out and I’ll give everything I have tomorrow." In other news from the same weekend, Italian youngster Flavio Cobolli produced a tear‑jerking performance in Munich, securing his place in the ATP 500 final with a 6‑3, 6‑3 triumph over world No. 3 Alexander Zverev.
Cobolli, only 23, unleashed a barrage of 32 winners while limiting his own first‑serve errors to a mere eight points, a testament to his aggressive baseline play and tactical discipline. The victory marks Cobolli’s first win over a top‑five opponent and sets up a Sunday final against American Ben Shelton, broadcast at 2 p.m. on Sky Sports Tennis. Cobolli reflected on the emotional weight of the match, noting his respect and friendship with Zverev.
"It was one of my best matches ever, against one of my best friends on tour. He's a great guy and we have a good relationship with his team, so it was a little tough to face him. Still, I think I played one of my finest matches and I’m very happy with my performance," he said. The Italian’s success in Munich also places him among an elite trio of players this season who have reached ATP Tour finals on both clay and hard courts, joining Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Cobolli’s ascent continues as he climbs to 12th in the live ATP rankings, eyeing his fourth career title and third at the ATP 500 level after his maiden victory in Bucharest last year. Both Rybakina and Cobolli will be featured on Sky Sports' extensive tennis coverage, which also offers streaming options via NOW and the Sky Sports app.
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