Victoria Mboko triumphed over fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez in a thrilling three-set showdown, securing her spot in the final of the Hong Kong Open tennis tournament.
Hailing from Toronto, Mboko fought hard to conquer Fernandez from Laval, Que., with a scoreline of 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in Saturday’s semifinal—their inaugural clash on the court.
The 19-year-old Mboko is set to face Cristina Bucsa of Spain in the finals on Sunday. Bucsa claimed her spot by defeating fifth seed Maya Joint from Australia in straight sets.
Earlier this year, Mboko bested Bucsa with a score of 6-3, 6-2 during their only previous encounter in the qualifying rounds of the Rome tournament.
As the third seed, Mboko took just 1 hour and 44 minutes to dispatch second seed Fernandez, marking her second WTA final appearance this season.
Fernandez started strong, winning eight of the first nine games and hitting 10 winners compared to Mboko’s five during the first set, where the young star recorded 14 unforced errors.
The momentum swung in the second set when Fernandez, leading 2-1, called for a medical timeout to address her right thigh with strapping.
Post-timeout, Mboko elevated her performance dramatically, landing 34 of 40 first serves and breaking Fernandez’s momentum.
“I didn’t start off strong,” Mboko acknowledged afterward. “But I must credit her—she played aggressively, making it tough for me to settle into my game.”
“I aimed to stay competitive and find my rhythm. Gradually, it built my confidence and allowed me to take more risks with my shots.”
Intriguingly, Mboko has now won three out of four matches in Hong Kong after trailing in the first set.
After a challenging period post her first WTA title at the National Bank Open in Montreal, she seems to have reclaimed her form.
Recovering from a wrist injury sustained in Montreal, she faced a four-match losing streak before advancing to the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last week.
Mboko’s resurgence began in Tokyo, where she defeated another compatriot, Bianca Andreescu from Mississauga, Ont.
Next week, Mboko is anticipated to make her debut in the world’s top 10 rankings, a remarkable leap from her starting position of No. 333 at the beginning of the season.
