'Composed' Mboko hails home support for final run

Victoria Mboko credited being "patient" as she survived a first-set wobble to battle to a 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) win over 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina at the Canadian Open on Aug 6.

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MONTREAL - Victoria Mboko credited being "patient" as she survived a first-set wobble to battle to a 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) win over 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina at the Canadian Open on Aug 6.

In doing so, she set up a final showdown in Montreal with Naomi Osaka on Aug 7 (Aug 8, Singapore time), while top seed Alexander Zverev was stunned by Karen Khachanov, who will meet Ben Shelton in the men's final of the event in Toronto.

Mboko, ranked 85th in the world, saved a match point against Kazakh ninth seed Rybakina in front of adoring home support, as the 18-year-old became the first Canadian to beat three former Grand Slam champions in a single WTA event in the Open Era.

She has beaten 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, French and US Opens champion Coco Gauff and Rybakina in her stunning run to the final.

She is also just the third wild card to reach the final at the Canadian Open in the Open Era after Monica Seles in 1995 and Simona Halep in 2015.