Canadian teen Victoria Mboko wins Hong Kong Open for second WTA title

NEW DELHI: Victoria Mboko won the second WTA title of her career as the 19-year-old outlasted the more experienced Cristina Bucsa in the final of the Hong Kong Open on Sunday.

Mboko overpowered the Spaniard 7-5, 6-7 (9/11), 6-2 at Victoria Park to add the Hong Kong crown to her breakout victory at her home Canadian Open in August.

Mboko, who is at a career-high 21 in the world, defeated the 2021 US Open runner-up and fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez in three sets in Saturday’s semifinal.

Against the 27-year-old Bucsa, who is ranked 68, Mboko’s big serve and clubbing ground strokes gradually wore down her opponent over nearly three hours.

Also on Sunday in China, Russia’s Anna Blinkova won the Jiangxi Open with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Austria’s Lilli Tagger. Agencies

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