In a thrilling display of resilience at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, Canada’s Victoria Mboko booked her place in the quarter-finals with a stirring comeback victory over Alexandra Eala of the Philippines on Thursday.
In a gripping second-round battle that lasted two hours and 27 minutes, Mboko weathered a passionate crowd and a determined opponent to triumph 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The match began at a ferocious pace, with both players trading powerful groundstrokes. Eala seized the early initiative, claiming the first set, but the world No 21 Mboko refused to relent. She steadily worked her way back into the contest, ultimately turning the match around in a dramatic final set filled with long, punishing rallies.
“I want to first congratulate Alex for an amazing match,” Mboko said afterwards. “It’s never easy to play with one of your friends for such a long time. So, I got a little bit emotional, but I also want to thank everyone who came to support today.”
The encounter was not without a moment of controversy, as Mboko briefly contested a point during a crucial first-set break opportunity for Eala, feeling a roar from the crowd mid-rally had been a distraction. However, the Canadian quickly refocused, channelling the electric atmosphere into her performance.
“I loved the support today,” Mboko added. “The match was so much more intense and super tough for me, so I think I really had to fight for every single point. And yeah, I think it was just an unbelievable match.”
The deciding set was a test of endurance, featuring an epic 15-minute, 21-point game that resulted in an early break for Eala. Mboko responded magnificently, winning the final four games in a row to seal a memorable victory and advance to the last eight.
And after that match had finished, Team Hong Kong’s Eudice Chong fought hard but was ultimately unable to progress, as she lost 6-2, 6-1 against Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume.
Earlier on the Victoria Park Center Court, Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya delivered a commanding performance, defeating veteran Zhang Shuai 6-1, 6-1.
She was followed by Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, who continued her impressive form with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Wang Yafan. The victory, achieved in one hour and 16 minutes, marks Bencic’s sixth consecutive win, a remarkable run of success as she returns to the tour after missing much of the 2024 season following the birth of her first child.
“I felt good on the court,” Bencic said. “I tried to play aggressively, tried to play my game, and it worked out well. So I’m very happy to take the momentum with me.”
Bencic missed most of the 2024 season because she gave birth to her first child. She has performed remarkably since then and is now the world No 11.
“I think last year, exactly at this moment, I was like, ranked 913 or something,” she said. “Sometimes, you know, when you keep playing and keep playing, you always want more, like you’re kind of pushing yourself. You’re never happy.
“But then sometimes it’s nice to take a step back and to kind of also be proud of yourself, which I really am, and looking back at it, I think this comeback was more than we ever wanted.”
On Friday, the quarter-finals start with Bencic against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, followed by Chong/Sakatsume against Maya Joint. Mboko is also back on court and will face Kalinskaya. The final match of the night will be Leylah Fernandez against Sorana Cirstea.
