Mboko Stuns Gauff, Advances to National Bank Open Quarterfinals

Victoria Mboko achieved a significant milestone at the National Bank Open on Saturday. The Canadian player secured a decisive 6-1, 6-4 victory against the top-seeded Coco Gauff of the United States. The women's singles match concluded in just 62 minutes, propelling Mboko into the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 tournament.

Mboko, whose world ranking has dramatically improved this year from 333rd to 85th, demonstrated exceptional skill by saving all four breakpoints against Gauff. Gauff, ranked second in the world, made 22 unforced errors during the match. The 18-year-old from Toronto, who entered the tournament as a wild card, is the last Canadian remaining in the singles competition.

This victory marks Mboko as the second-youngest Canadian to reach a WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 1990, following only Bianca Andreescu. She is also only the second teenager, and the first Canadian, to defeat Gauff. Furthermore, she is the first player this season to prevent Gauff from winning a single game on serve.

The crowd in Montreal showed strong support for Mboko, creating a vibrant atmosphere as she took center court. Mboko expressed her appreciation to the audience in French, acknowledging their incredible support. She displayed powerful groundstrokes and a strong serve, which have been her trademarks on the professional tour this season.

Gauff struggled with unforced errors throughout the match, particularly in the first set, which she lost in 25 minutes. Mboko capitalized on Gauff's mistakes, breaking her serve early and maintaining control. Gauff's difficulties continued in the second set, where she missed several breakpoint opportunities.

Mboko's victory over Gauff sets up a quarterfinal match against the winner of the late match between Zhu Lin of China and Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain. This marks Mboko's first time advancing to the quarterfinals of a 1000-level tournament, having defeated higher-ranked opponents in each previous round.

Mboko's path to the quarterfinals included wins over Kimberly Birrell, Sofia Kenin, and Marie Bouzkova. This success adds to a breakthrough season for Mboko, which also included appearances in her first two Grand Slam main draws. Her overall record this season is an impressive 50-9, with a 24-8 record against players ranked above her.

In other matches on Saturday, Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan also advanced to the quarterfinals. Kostyuk defeated McCartney Kessler of the United States, while Rybakina overcame Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine. Kostyuk and Rybakina are scheduled to face each other in the next round.