{"id":79672,"date":"2025-10-31T16:41:32","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T08:41:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tennishk.org\/?post_type=news-detail&p=79672"},"modified":"2025-10-31T16:41:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T08:41:33","slug":"mboko-rallies-past-eala-in-epic-hong-kong-encounter","status":"publish","type":"news-detail","link":"https:\/\/www.tennishk.org\/en\/news-detail\/mboko-rallies-past-eala-in-epic-hong-kong-encounter\/","title":{"rendered":"Mboko Rallies Past Eala in Epic Hong Kong Encounter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Hong Kong, China – October 30: Victoria Mboko Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open WTA250 at Victoria Park Tennis Court on October 30, 2025 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by {photog}\/Hong Kong, China Tennis Association)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a thrilling display of resilience at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, Canada\u2019s 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.

\u201cI want to first congratulate Alex for an amazing match,\u201d Mboko said afterwards. \u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d

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.

\u201cI loved the support today,\u201d Mboko added. \u201cThe 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.\u201d

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\u2019s Eudice Chong fought hard but was ultimately unable to progress, as she lost 6-2, 6-1 against Japan\u2019s Himeno Sakatsume.

Earlier on the Victoria Park Center Court, Russia\u2019s Anna Kalinskaya delivered a commanding performance, defeating veteran Zhang Shuai 6-1, 6-1.

She was followed by Switzerland\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.

\u201cI felt good on the court,\u201d Bencic said. \u201cI tried to play aggressively, tried to play my game, and it worked out well. So I\u2019m very happy to take the momentum with me.\u201d

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.

\u201cI think last year, exactly at this moment, I was like, ranked 913 or something,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes, you know, when you keep playing and keep playing, you always want more, like you\u2019re kind of pushing yourself. You\u2019re never happy.

\u201cBut then sometimes it\u2019s 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.\u201d

On Friday, the quarter-finals start with Bencic against Spain\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hong Kong, China – October 30: Belinda Bencic Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open WTA250 at Victoria Park Tennis Court on October 30, 2025 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by {photog}\/Hong Kong, China Tennis Association)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-79672","news-detail","type-news-detail","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMboko Rallies Past Eala in Epic Hong Kong Encounter - Hong Kong, China Tennis Association<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tennishk.org\/en\/news-detail\/mboko-rallies-past-eala-in-epic-hong-kong-encounter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mboko Rallies Past Eala in Epic Hong Kong Encounter - Hong Kong, China Tennis Association\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a thrilling display of resilience at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, Canada\u2019s Victoria Mboko booked her place in the quarter-finals with a stirring comeback victory over Alexandra Eala of the Philippines on Thursday. 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