Victoria Mboko emerged victorious in an intense battle against Leylah Fernandez in the semifinals of the Hong Kong Tennis Open. The 19-year-old Canadian tennis player staged a remarkable comeback after dropping the first set, ultimately triumphing over her 23-year-old opponent from Laval, Quebec, with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. This win secured Mboko a spot in her second WTA final this season.
Reflecting on her performance, Mboko acknowledged a challenging start to the match but credited Fernandez for her aggressive and high-quality play that initially disrupted her rhythm. Determined to stay competitive, Mboko focused on maintaining her composure and gradually regained confidence in her game, enabling her to execute more assertive shots towards the end.
In the upcoming final, Victoria Mboko, hailing from Toronto, will clash with Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, who secured her spot by defeating Maya Joint in straight sets (6-3, 6-1) during their match on Saturday. Mboko and Bucsa have crossed paths once before, with Mboko prevailing in a previous encounter with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 victory in the clay court qualifiers in Rome earlier this year.