Canada’s Victoria Mboko has secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open after a hard-fought 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against Alexandra Eala from the Philippines on Thursday. The third-seeded Mboko showcased her skills with eight aces and managed to break Eala’s serve five times, winning an impressive 67% of her first-serve points. The 19-year-old player hailing from Toronto is now set to face off against Russia’s sixth-seeded Anna Kalinskaya in the upcoming match.
Mboko’s success adds to the Canadian presence in the final eight, with Leylah Fernandez also progressing. Fernandez, seeded second in the tournament, triumphed in a straight-sets 6-4, 6-1 win over Germany’s Eva Lys, earning her a quarterfinal clash against Romania’s seventh-seeded Sorana Cirstea.
In another thrilling match, Félix Auger-Aliassime from Montreal advanced to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters after a challenging 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Germany’s Daniel Altmaier. The ninth-seeded Montreal native displayed his resilience by bouncing back after losing the first set, dominating with an 87% first-serve point win rate and converting three out of 10 break opportunities. Auger-Aliassime recorded seven aces and three double faults during the intense two-hour 11-minute match.
Reflecting on his performance, Auger-Aliassime expressed his satisfaction, stating, “Three sets all week. It’s been a struggle all week. Just fighting back, I feel like every day.” The victory in Paris puts Auger-Aliassime in contention for a spot at the season-ending ATP Finals, with a current standing of ninth in the ATP Race to Turin rankings. Following his recent success, a win over Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot in the quarterfinals would bring Auger-Aliassime within 90 points of eighth-place Lorenzo Musetti, with the potential to secure a significant lead with a tournament victory.
The road to the ATP Finals remains challenging, with limited opportunities for players to improve their rankings before the event commences on November 9. Meanwhile, Vacherot, currently ranked 40th in the world, continues his impressive form with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the Round of 16, extending his 10-match winning streak at the Masters level. Norrie’s quarterfinal entry followed his recent upset victory over world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.