Victoria Mboko Reaches WTA Tour Semifinals, Shines in Montreal

Montreal, Aug 5 (AP) – Canadian teenage sensation Victoria Mboko has surged into her first WTA Tour semifinal, defeating Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 victory on Monday night at the National Bank Open.

Just two days prior, the 18-year-old from Toronto sent shockwaves through the tournament by swiftly eliminating No. 1 seed Coco Gauff in a mere 62 minutes. No signs of slowing down for the rising star came as she masterfully navigated an error-strewn first set before overcoming a sluggish start in the second. Mboko was initially broken but exhibited resilience by breaking back in the fourth and sixth games, taking a decisive 4-2 lead.

This formidable run marks Mboko as the first Canadian woman to advance to the semifinals of this esteemed WTA 1000 event since Bianca Andreescu's triumphant title journey in 2019. Notably, she is also the youngest woman to reach this stage since Belinda Bencic's 2015 victory in Toronto.

Up next, Mboko is set to face Elena Rybakina, who was leading Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 2-1 before the Ukrainian had to withdraw due to an apparent arm injury. Rybakina, the tournament's No. 9 seed representing Kazakhstan, capitalized on three of her ten break-point opportunities during their quarterfinal clash at IGA Stadium. As she departed the court in tears, the 24th-seeded Kostyuk’s arm had previously been wrapped in medical tape by her trainers.

Mboko’s rise this year has been nothing short of meteoric, catapulting from outside the top 300 to a career-high of No. 85. Her ranking is anticipated to climb even further to No. 55, as per WTA live rankings.

Overcoming two challenging years plagued by injuries, Mboko launched this season with an unyielding 22-match win streak, securing five titles on the ITF Tour. She then qualified for her inaugural Grand Slam main draw at the French Open, reaching the third round, and continued to impress by toppling 25th-seeded Magdalena Frech in the opening round at Wimbledon.

The surprises continue to unfold as Mboko triumphs in Montreal, achieving victories over 79th-ranked Kimberly Birrell, No. 23 seed Sofia Kenin, 39th-ranked Marie Bouzkova, and the world’s No. 2, Coco Gauff. Currently, her outstanding record stands at 25-8 against higher-ranked opponents and 51-9 across all competitions.

In the other quarterfinal matchups slated for Tuesday, No. 6 seed Madison Keys—now the highest seed remaining—will compete against No. 16 Clara Tauson, while former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka is set to face No. 10 seed Elina Svitolina. The tournament will reach its exciting conclusion with the final scheduled for Thursday. (AP) AM AM AM

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