Canada’s Victoria Mboko and Leylah Fernandez have advanced to the second round of the women’s singles draw at the Hong Kong Open. Mboko, seeded third in the tournament, fought back from a set down to defeat Australia’s Talia Gibson with a score of 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and 48 minutes on Tuesday. The 19-year-old player from Toronto, who previously won the National Bank Open in Montreal, showcased an impressive performance by hitting 19 aces and converting four out of five break-point opportunities in the match. She is set to face the winner of the match between Britain’s Katie Boulter and Alexandra Eala from the Philippines.
On the other hand, the second-seeded Fernandez had a smooth start in the tournament, securing a 6-1, 6-4 victory over China’s Wang Xiyu in her opening match. The 23-year-old player from Laval, Quebec, will now prepare to compete against Germany’s Eva Lys in the upcoming round.
In a separate event, Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime kept his hopes alive for qualifying in the ATP Finals by clinching a first-round win at the Paris Masters tennis tournament. Auger-Aliassime staged a comeback after dropping a set to defeat Argentine qualifier Francisco Comesana with a score of 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3. Meanwhile, Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo triumphed over Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands with a score of 6-3, 6-4, while Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ontario, faced a defeat against Joao Fonseca with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
Auger-Aliassime’s recent victory has brought him closer to eighth-place Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP Race To Turin standings, as he is now within 440 points of the qualifying position for the season-ending event in Italy. The 25-year-old player had previously won an ATP 250 event in Belgium but had to retire during a quarterfinal match in Basel due to a back injury, potentially missing out on valuable points.
Furthermore, Valerie Camillo is set to take over as the new chair of the WTA Tour and WTA Ventures starting next month. She will succeed the retiring tour chair, Steve Simon, with the announcement made by the WTA on Tuesday. Camillo expressed her honor in leading the world’s top women’s sport during a crucial period, emphasizing the significance of upcoming decisions that will shape the future of women’s tennis for players, tournaments, fans, and partners. Camillo brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles with organizations such as Herschend Family Entertainment, the University of Virginia Athletics Foundation, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Washington Nationals, among others.