Tennis
Naomi Osaka Falls to Teenager Victoria Mboko in the National Bank Open Final
Appearing in her first WTA 1000 final since April 2022, Naomi Osaka won the first set against her 18-year-old opponent. Mboko bounced back to win the title.
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko completed a stirring display of dominance at the National Bank Open on Thursday, August 7, beating Naomi Osaka 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the women's singles final.
The 85th-ranked Mboko collected her first WTA Tour title by vanquishing a quartet of former Grand Slam winners along the way. She outplayed world No 27 Sofia Kenin in the round of 64 and conquered second-ranked Coco Gauff in straight sets in the round of 16.
In the semifinals, Mboko, who began the year as the 333rd-ranked women's player, outlasted 2022 Wimbledon winner and 10th-ranked Elena Rybakina, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4).
Naomi Osaka vs Victoria Mboko for the 1st Time
That set up a showdown with Osaka, who had a resurgence in Montreal, competing in her first tournament under new coach Tomasz Wiktorowski.
It was the first head-to-head matchup between Mboko and Osaka, who is 27.
"I want to thank Naomi for an incredible match," Mboko said during the trophy presentation. "I've always looked up to her when I was very little. It's always great to play with such an amazing player like you."
The rising star added, "I couldn't be more grateful."
Since the outset of the tournament, Osaka appeared reinvigorated at the National Bank Open, exhibiting positive energy and a strong overall display of tennis skills. This included a hard-earned victory over Denmark's world No 15 Clara Tauson in Wednesday's semifinals.
In the semifinal match, Osaka saved two set points in the second set, a pivotal factor in her 6-2, 7-6 (9-7) triumph.
That carried Osaka to her first WTA 1000 (top-tier level) final since April 2022, when Iga Swiatek beat her in the Miami Open.
Osaka didn't provide a detailed analysis of her performance against Mboko during the post-match trophy presentation. Instead, she kept her message short, peppering it with thank-yous.
"I don't want to take up too much time, so I'll just say thank you to everyone," Osaka said. "Thank you to my team, thank you to the ball kids, thank you to the organizers and all the volunteers. And I hope you guys had a good night."
Taking Control in the Early Going
Vying for her first title since winning the Australian Open for the second time in 2021, 49th-ranked Osaka had a stellar start in the first set against Mboko.
The teenager struggled with her serve early in the first set, helping Osaka rack up points. (Mboko finished with 13 double faults to Osaka's five.)
But in the second set, Mboko gained the upper hand with an impressive start, grabbing a 5-2 lead.
During their spirited competition, featuring a number of strong rallies, both women showed the power of their forehand and backhand returns.
Mboko Exhibits Poise in Pivotal Moments
Mboko's youthful exuberance was also instrumental in her comeback. She won eight of her nine break points. In doing so, she capitalized on scoring opportunities with Osaka serving.
Most importantly, Mboko did this with four crucial break points in the fourth game of the third set, propelling her to a 3-1 lead that Osaka could not fend off.
Mboko won the final game of the third set and clinched the title when an Osaka return sailed into the net.
The Canadian fans rooting for Mboko cheered in English and French, with many holding up signs that read "Alliez, Vicky" (Go, Vicky).
There was enthusiastic applause for Mboko and Osaka after the match during the trophy presentation.
Mboko summed up her experience at the National Bank Open by saying, "It's been an incredible week here in Montreal."
The Canadian will climb to 25th when the updated world rankings are released on Monday, August 11.
Osaka will also rise in the rankings, likely to 24th.
An Admiration for Naomi Osaka
Speaking to reporters in Montreal, Osaka was informed that Mboko said she was her idol back in 2021.
In response to learning this, Osaka said, "I don't think that's ever happened," tennis365.com reported.
She added, "Yeah, I mean, I'm really honored. I always said that I would love to play someone that looked up to me in a way, so it's happening way sooner than I thought it would."
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.