In an exciting showdown, Canadian stars Leylah Fernandez and Victoria Mboko are poised to face off in the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open tennis tournament following impressive quarterfinal victories on Friday.
Fernandez, the tournament’s second seed, advanced with a solid 6-4, 6-4 triumph over seventh-seed Sorana Cirstea from Romania.
Meanwhile, Mboko, who holds the third seed, secured her place in the semifinals after sixth-seeded Anna Kalinskaya of Russia retired while trailing 6-1, 3-1.
In her match, Fernandez demonstrated resilience by saving four out of five break points and successfully breaking Cirstea three times out of nine opportunities, marking her second victory over the seasoned Romanian this month.
At just 23 years old, the Laval, Quebec native previously defeated Cirstea in the semifinals of the Japan Women’s Open, ultimately leading her to her fifth career title.
On the other hand, 19-year-old Mboko from Toronto showcased dominance in her quarterfinal, finishing the match with nine aces and a perfect service game after just 48 minutes, capturing a remarkable 61.8 percent of total points.
After a recent slump following her maiden WTA title at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Mboko appears to be returning to form. She faced a four-match losing streak before reaching the quarterfinals at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last week.
This upcoming match will mark the first encounter between Fernandez and Mboko on the court.
In the other semifinal of this WTA 250 event, fifth-seeded Maya Joint from Australia is set to compete against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
