Mirra Andreeva captures first WTA title as Avanesyan retires in Iasi

Mirra Andreeva

View Profile captured the first Hologic WTA Tour title of her career on Friday at the UniCredit Iasi Open when fifth seed Elina Avanesyan

View Profile retired in the third set of the championship match.

The pair, both contesting their first tour-level final, split 7-5 sets -- Andreev was a game away from losing when she served to stay in the match down 7-5, 5-4 -- before Avanesyan retired due to lower leg muscle cramping with the 17-year-old top seed ahead 5-7, 7-5, 4-0.

The Roland Garros semifinalist had won seven consecutive games, and lost just four points in the third set, when Avanesyan retired.

Iasi: Scores | Draws | Order of play

Andreeva, at 17 years and 90 days old, is the youngest woman to win a tour-level singles title since Coco Gauff

View Profile won in Parma, Italy when 20 days younger in 2021. Andreeva is the fourth-youngest title winner overall on tour since 2006. 

The match began after a four-hour delay due to rain, and Andreeva had leads of 2-0 and 4-2 -- as well as three points for 5-2 -- before Avanesyan snatched the opening set in more than an hour. The World No.32 was also up a break twice in the second set before she eventually won it. 

"It was a really tough battle, and of course, not the way I wanted to end this match," Andreeva said afterwards. "This week ... is going to stay in my heart for a really long time."

The No.1 seeds also won the doubles title, as Anna Danilina and Irina Khromacheva defeated Alexandra Panova and Yana Sizikova 6-4, 6-2. After reaching the final last week as the No.2 seeds in Budapest, the pair captured their first title together by losing just one set throughout the week.