Russian teen star Mirra Andreeva advanced to the BNP Paribas Open final, beating defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6 (1), 1-6, 6-3 in chilly conditions Friday night to become the tournament’s youngest finalist since 2001.

Penny Hardaway understands that No. 16-ranked Memphis likely is a lock for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament that begins next week.

In doing so, Andreeva became the youngest player to advance to the Indian Wells final since Kim Clijsters in 2001. She also became the fifth player to reach this stage before turning 18 years old since the tournament’s inception in 1989; the other four players to do so are Clijsters, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis and Serena Williams.