Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva has reached her first Grand Slam final by beating Marta Kostyuk, of Ukraine, 6-1 6-3 in a politically-charged encounter at the French Open.
She will face compatriot Diana Shnaider or Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who were playing later, in Saturday's final.
Andreeva, 19, converted her first match point when serving for the match but there was no handshake between them and Kostyuk walked off quickly, turning only to wave and blow kisses to the crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where some fans were draped in Ukrainian flags.
"I am happy that I am in my first ever Grand Slam final. All of these feelings combined, it is amazing," Andreeva said. "I just told myself no matter what happens, I am going to fight and give my best. With this kind of mindset, I ended up winning."
