Canada’s Victoria Mboko and Leylah Fernandez have advanced to the second round of the women’s singles draw at the Hong Kong Open. Mboko, seeded third in the tournament, staged a comeback to defeat Talia Gibson of Australia 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4 in almost two hours on Tuesday. The 19-year-old from Toronto, who previously won the National Bank Open in Montreal in August, delivered 19 aces and capitalized on four out of five break-point opportunities in her victory. She is set to face the victor of the match between Britain’s Katie Boulter and Alexandra Eala from the Philippines.
In a smooth start, the second-seeded Fernandez secured a 6-1, 6-4 win over Wang Xiyu from China in her opening match. The 23-year-old from Laval, Quebec, will now confront Germany’s Eva Lys in the second round.
Meanwhile, Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime kept his bid for qualifying for the ATP Finals alive with a first-round triumph at the Paris Masters tennis tournament. Auger-Aliassime fought back from a set down to defeat Argentine qualifier Francisco Comesana 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3. In other first-round encounters, Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo triumphed over Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands in a 6-3, 6-4 victory, while Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ontario, was defeated 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 by Joao Fonseca. The win for Auger-Aliassime brought him within 440 points of eighth-place Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP Race To Turin standings, with the top eight players qualifying for the season-ending event in Italy.
Auger-Aliassime, who won an ATP 250 event in Belgium recently, is set to face France’s Alexandre Muller next in Paris. Diallo, ranked 42nd in the world, will take on the sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur from Australia after overcoming Griekspoor. Shapovalov, despite his nine aces, suffered a loss to Fonseca, who managed to win the Basel tournament and became the third-youngest player to secure victory in an ATP 500 event.
Valerie Camillo is poised to become the new chair of the WTA Tour and WTA Ventures starting next month, succeeding Steve Simon as the tour chair. Camillo expressed her honor in leading the top women’s sport globally during a crucial period for women’s tennis, emphasizing the significant decisions ahead that will influence the future of players, tournaments, fans, and partners. Camillo brings a wealth of experience, having served in leadership roles with Herschend Family Entertainment, the University of Virginia Athletics Foundation, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Nationals, and the NBA.
