Victoria Mboko surprisingly reached the final of the highly competitive WTA1000 tournament in Montreal on Wednesday. The eighteen-year-old Canadian stunned again by defeating the Kazakh Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals: 1-6, 7-5 and 7-6 (4).
Mboko (WTA-85) lost the first set with clear numbers, but recovered against the number twelve in the world. In the exciting last set, the teenager saved a match point and was the better player in the tiebreak.
It is Mboko’s sixth consecutive victory in Montreal against a higher-ranked player. The home favourite, who was allowed to participate in the tournament with a wildcard, previously surprised Coco Gauff (WTA-2), among others.
Mboko started this year as number 333 in the world, but has now virtually climbed to 34th place. With a tournament victory, the talent rises even further in the world ranking.
Mboko will compete in the final against the Japanese Naomi Osaka, who was too strong for the Danish Clara Tauson in the semi-finals: 6-2 and 7-6 (7). The four-time Grand Slam winner is chasing her first title in four and a half years in Montreal.
Osaka returned last year after a pregnancy and had so far not succeeded in reaching her old level. The former world number one won her last title at the Australian Open at the beginning of 2021.
