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Russia’s Andreeva storms into 2025 Indian Wells quarterfinals with straight sets win

The 2025 Indian Wells tournament is played on outdoor hard courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California, the United States, between March 5 and 16 and offers almost $9.6 million and $8.9 million in prize money in men and women’s events correspondingly

NEW YORK, March 12. /TASS/. Russia’s tennis teen-prodigy Mirra Andreeva is through to the quarterfinals of the 2025 Indian Wells Open after defeating Yelena Rybakina from Kazakhstan in the Round of 16.

The 9th-seeded Russian, who is playing under a neutral status at the tournament, stunned the 7th-seeded Rybakina in straight sets 6-1; 6-2 and is now set to battle for the spot in the semifinals against 23rd-seeded Elina Svitolina from Ukraine.

"I knew that the match was going to be incredibly tough," the WTA official website quoted Andreeva as saying after the match. "She's won the tournament here, I think she feels very comfortable playing on these courts, so I just found a great mindset for this match and I just tried to fight for every point."

"I was so excited to play tonight ... with all the courage, I just went on court and tried to show the best level of tennis," she added.

Andreeva, 17, is currently ranked 11th in the WTA (the Women's Tennis Association) Rankings. Her best result playing at the Grand Slam series was reaching the semifinals of the 2024 French Open.

She has won two WTA titles so far in her career and she is also the winner of a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in women's doubles with partner Diana Shnaider. In 2023, the WTA named Andreeva the rookie of the year.

The 2025 Indian Wells tournament is played on outdoor hard courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California, the United States, between March 5 and 16 and offers almost $9.6 million and $8.9 million in prize money in men and women’s events correspondingly. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Poland’s Iga Swiatek are the reigning champions in men and women’s competitions respectively.

Russian players’ neutral status at tennis tournaments

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC's recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) ruled on March 1, 2022 to suspend the membership of the Russian and Belarusian national tennis federations while also canceling all previously scheduled tennis tournaments in the two countries.

On March 14, 2022, the ITF also confirmed its prohibition on the Russian and Belarusian national tennis teams from taking part in the 2022 Davis Cup and 2022 Billie Jean King Cup.

However, the Women Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) allowed tennis players from Russia and Belarus to continue participating in WTA and ATP tournaments, but only under a neutral status.

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