Top-seeded Victoria Mboko defeated fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Strasbourg International. The win at the WTA 500 clay-court event solidifies the 19-year-old’s standing ahead of the French Open, according to reporting from Sportsnet.ca.
How did Mboko secure the victory?
Mboko won by overpowering Fernandez early and holding on through a late surge from her opponent. The World No. 9 from Burlington, Ont., built a 5-1 lead in the first set before Fernandez, the seventh seed, fought back to 5-4, saving six set points in the process, the WTA reported. Mboko eventually closed out the set on her seventh opportunity. Fernandez struggled with her serve, hitting eight double faults and winning just under 53 per cent of her total service points, per Medicine Hat News. In contrast, Mboko won over 82 per cent of points on her first serve.
What is the history between the two Canadians?
This was the second professional meeting between the two players, with Mboko now holding a 2-0 record. Their first match occurred in the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open last year, where Mboko also won on her way to capturing the tournament title, as noted by multiple sources. Fernandez, from Laval, Que., has now been eliminated in the quarterfinals in three consecutive clay-court tournaments.
What comes next for Mboko and Fernandez?
Mboko advances to the semifinals in Strasbourg where she will face Jaqueline Cristian of Romania. Following this tournament, both Canadians will travel to Paris for the French Open, where they are seeded in the main draw. According to Medicine Hat News, Mboko is the ninth seed at Roland Garros and will play Nikola Bartunkova of Czechia in the first round. Fernandez is seeded 24th and is scheduled to face American Alycia Parks.
The other semifinal in Strasbourg will feature Americans Emma Navarro and Ann Li. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday.
Sources
- Sportsnet.ca: Victoria Mboko beats Leylah Fernandez in all-Canadian Strasbourg quarterfinal
- Women's Tennis Association: Mboko wins all-Canadian quarter as Navarro scores comeback in Strasbourg
- Medicine Hat News: Mboko defeats fellow Canadian Fernandez in French Open tune-up tournament
- CKPG Today: Mboko, Fernandez set to meet in all-Canadian quarterfinal at Strasbourg International
Reported from public sources.