Victoria Mboko and Leylah Fernandez from Canada have advanced to the second round of the women’s singles draw at the Hong Kong Open.
Mboko, seeded third in the tournament, came back from losing a set to defeat Talia Gibson from Australia with a score of 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and 48 minutes on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old player from Toronto, who previously won the National Bank Open in Montreal in August, managed to hit 19 aces and convert four out of five break-point opportunities in her victory.
Her next match will be against the winner of the first-round game between Katie Boulter from Britain and Alexandra Eala from the Philippines.
On the other hand, Fernandez, the second seed, easily won her opening match against Wang Xiyu from China with a score of 6-1, 6-4.
The 23-year-old athlete from Laval, Quebec, is set to face Eva Lys from Germany in the upcoming second round.
Félix Auger-Aliassime Advances to Second Round in Paris
Félix Auger-Aliassime from Montreal secured a first-round victory at the Paris Masters tennis tournament on Tuesday, keeping his chances alive for qualifying in the ATP Finals.
Auger-Aliassime staged a comeback after losing a set to defeat Argentine qualifier Francisco Comesana with a score of 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-3.
In other first-round matches, Gabriel Diallo from Montreal won against Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands with a score of 6-3, 6-4, while Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ontario, was defeated by Joao Fonseca with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. This marked Fonseca’s second consecutive victory over Shapovalov.
Auger-Aliassime’s win brought him within 440 points of eighth-place Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP Race To Turin standings, where the top eight players qualify for the season-ending event in Italy.
The 25-year-old player recently won an ATP 250 event in Belgium but had to retire during a quarterfinal match in Basel due to a back injury.
Auger-Aliassime, seeded ninth in Paris, is set to play against Alexandre Muller from France in the next round.
Diallo previously defeated Griekspoor in their first encounter. Diallo, ranked 42nd globally, will face the sixth seed, Alex de Minaur from Australia, in the next match.
Shapovalov, despite hitting nine aces, struggled with nine double faults in his defeat to Fonseca. Fonseca, aged 19, went on to win the tournament, becoming the third-youngest player to secure an ATP 500 event victory.
‘Critical moment’ for women’s tennis: new WTA chair
Valerie Camillo has been appointed as the new chair of the WTA Tour and WTA Ventures, set to commence her role next month, leading women’s professional tennis.
The announcement of Camillo’s hiring by the WTA was made on Tuesday, with her starting on November 17, succeeding the retiring tour chair, Steve Simon.
Expressing her feelings, Camillo stated, “I’m honored to lead the world’s No. 1 women’s sport at such a pivotal time. The WTA has long been a force for progress, pushing boundaries for athletes and fans alike.”
She further added,