Victoria Mboko emerged victorious in a thrilling match against Leylah Fernandez at the Hong Kong Tennis Open semi-finals on Saturday. The 19-year-old Canadian secured a hard-fought win after dropping the first set, showcasing an impressive improvement in her first-serve performance to claim victory with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Reflecting on the match, Mboko acknowledged Fernandez’s strong and aggressive playstyle, which initially posed challenges for her rhythm. However, she remained resilient and focused on staying competitive throughout the encounter, eventually gaining confidence in her own game and displaying more assertiveness in her shot-making towards the end.
In the upcoming WTA final, Mboko, hailing from Toronto, will go head-to-head against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. Bucsa secured her spot in the final by defeating Maya Joint in a convincing straight-sets victory of 6-3, 6-1 in the semi-finals. Notably, Mboko and Bucsa have met once before, with Mboko claiming a decisive 6-3, 6-2 win in their previous encounter during the clay court tournament in Rome earlier this year.
