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 Australia’s Talia Gibson 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and 48 minutes on Tuesday. The 19-year-old from Toronto, who previously won the National Bank Open in Montreal, showcased a strong performance with 19 aces and a 4 out of 5 conversion rate on break-point opportunities. She is set to face the winner of the match between Britain’s Katie Boulter and Alexandra Eala from the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Fernandez, the second seed, easily secured a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Wang Xiyu of China in her opening match. The 23-year-old from Laval, Quebec, will now meet Germany’s Eva Lys in the next round.
In another event, Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime fought back from a set down to defeat Argentine qualifier Francisco Comesana 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3 at the Paris Masters tennis tournament. Auger-Aliassime’s win keeps his hopes alive for a chance to qualify for the ATP Finals, moving him closer to eighth place in the ATP Race To Turin standings. Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo also triumphed, beating Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-4, while Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ontario, suffered a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 defeat against Joao Fonseca.
Auger-Aliassime, who recently won an ATP 250 event in Belgium, will face France’s Alexandre Muller next. Diallo, ranked 42nd in the world, will take on the sixth seed, Alex de Minaur of Australia.
On the administrative front, Valerie Camillo is set to become the new chair of the WTA Tour and WTA Ventures next month, succeeding Steve Simon. Camillo expressed her excitement, stating that this transition marks a crucial period for women’s tennis. She brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles with various sports organizations, including overseeing business operations for the Philadelphia Flyers and Wells Fargo Center.