Canada’s Victoria Mboko secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open after defeating Alexandra Eala from the Philippines 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The third-seeded Mboko showcased her skills by hitting eight aces and breaking Eala five times, ultimately winning 67% of her first-serve points. Next, the 19-year-old player from Toronto will go up against sixth-seeded Anna Kalinskaya from Russia. Mboko joins fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the final eight of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Fernandez, the second seed of the competition, advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Eva Lys from Germany in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-1. In the next round, Fernandez will face seventh-seeded Sorana Cirstea from Romania.
In a separate match, Félix Auger-Aliassime from Montreal progressed to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters by overcoming Daniel Altmaier from Germany with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory. Auger-Aliassime, the ninth seed, managed to recover after losing the first set, winning 87% of his first-serve points and converting three out of 10 break opportunities. The Montreal native finished the match with seven aces and three double faults. This win followed his previous victory over Alexandre Muller from France, where he relied on 21 aces to secure the win.
Auger-Aliassime expressed his satisfaction with the win, highlighting the challenges he faced throughout the week. He emphasized the importance of staying calm, patient, and finding solutions during tough moments in the game. Auger-Aliassime commended his improved serving and strategic play that helped him break Altmaier three times in the later stages of the match.
Currently ranked ninth in the ATP Race to Turin standings, Auger-Aliassime is striving for a spot in the season-ending ATP Finals. His recent win added 3,395 points to his standings, placing him 290 points behind the eighth-place Lorenzo Musetti. Auger-Aliassime’s upcoming match against Valentin Vacherot from Monaco in the quarterfinals presents an opportunity to close the gap further in the standings.
With limited chances to accumulate points before the ATP Finals, Auger-Aliassime aims to capitalize on the remaining events to secure his spot among the top eight players. Vacherot, who has been on an impressive winning streak, poses a tough challenge for Auger-Aliassime in the upcoming match. The stakes are high for both players as they strive for success in the competitive tennis season.