Victoria Mboko got her wish of playing against a Top 10 opponent on Friday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome and the Canadian acquitted herself well against world No. 3 Coco Gauff. However, the teen’s upset bid came up short as she was beaten by the former US Open champion in three sets.
Denis Shapovalov also lost in the second round of the Italian Open on Friday, being upset by qualifier Vilius Gaubas.
Gauff was the highest-ranked opponent Mboko had found herself up against so far in her young career but the Canadian put up a good fight. Mboko did an impressive job of pushing the world No. 3 but Gauff proved too solid, pulling away late for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win.
Even though Mboko’s game revolves around her power, it was Gauff’s aggression dictating much of the play. The American had more winners, 25 to 13, but also committed more errors, 29 to 26. Gauff had a good read on the teen’s serve, creating 13 break points and converting nine of them.
Facing the biggest challenge of her young career to date, Mboko got off to a nervy start, being broken to love in her first service game of the match. But the teen responded in dramatic fashion. After being broken to go down 0-2, she reeled off the next five games in a row.
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She immediately got back on serve in the following game and then at 2-2, Gauff missed a backhand wide to give the Canadian the lead. The former US Open champion seemed like she was going to bounce right back, going up love-40 in the next game, but Mboko dug in, saving all three break points as she held for 4-2.
Mboko kept rolling and broke for the third time in a row to set herself up to serve for the set at 5-2. It was then Gauff’s turn to dig in. With a little help from the net cord, Gauff had a couple of chances to reclaim one of the breaks and on the second, Mboko missed a backhand wide. However, the American was struggling to find a rhythm on serve. Trying to stay in it at 3-5, she double-faulted twice to give Mboko a set point where a net cord went the Canadian’s way, sitting up for the teen to tee off on a forehand winner and wrap up the opening frame.
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Just like the first set, Gauff got off to a quick start in the second, breaking Mboko in the Canadian’s first service game. This time, she did not let her foot off the gas, adding a second break as she raced out to a 3-0 lead.
Holds of serve were hard to come by for both women in the second set. Gauff’s hold for 2-0 was the only one in the first seven games. Mboko managed to break twice in the set but was never able to consolidate. She was broken every time she stepped to the line in second and Gauff was able to find another hold at the end to send it to a decider.
As the match went along, Mboko seemed to be running out of gas. While the Canadian her first hold since the first set in her first service game of the third, that was all she managed in the decider.
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A double fault from Mboko on break point gave Gauff a 2-1 lead. Unlike the second set, the Canadian was never able to claw a break back. The world No. 3 won the last six games in a row, breaking three times as she raced through the final set.
Mboko will have a chance later this month to make her Grand Slam debut as she is entered in qualifying for Roland-Garros. Leylah Annie Fernandez won her opening match in Rome on Friday, while Bianca Andreescu upset Donna Vekic.
Shapovalov Stumbles Against Qualifier
Denis Shapovalov was stunned in his first match at the 2025 Internazionali BNL D’Italia on Friday by world No. 154 Vilius Gaubas in straight sets. It is the second year in a row that the Canadian lost his opening match in Rome.
Shapovalov struggled to figure out the qualifier from Lithuania, who used an impressive combination of defensive tennis and bold ball striking to make the Canadian uncomfortable. Gaubas managed to hold off a late charge from Shapovalov to secure a 6-3, 6-4 win.
It was a challenging match for the Canadian, who committed 44 unforced errors and double-faulted nine times. He only converted one of his seven break-point chances while being broken three times.
With more than 100 spots between them in the rankings, Shapovalov was the heavy favourite and looked to stamp his authority early with a pair of break points in the opening game on Gaubas’ serve. But the Lithuanian sent an early message that it was not going to be an easy day, saving both and then getting a look at two break points of his own in Shapovalov’s first service game.
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Gaubas was showing no fear in the early stages and in the Canadian’s next service game, he rifled a forehand winner down the line to set up another break point. Shapovalov netted a forehand to give the Lithuanian a 3-1 lead. Gaubas had to dig deep to consolidate the break, rallying from 15-40 down and ultimately saving three break-back points to extend his lead.
That was the last chance Shapovalov would have to get back into the opening set. Gaubas never trailed again on serve as he easily secured the two holds he needed to take the opening set.
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The serve was not clicking for the Canadian in set two and he was under constant pressure. After being pushed to deuce in his first two service games, he played a nightmare game in the third, double faulting three times including back-to-back at love-30 to throw away the break.
For the first time in the match, Gaubas, who had never beaten a Top 50 opponent before, seemed to feel the moment and tightened up after securing the break. A couple of errors from the Lithuanian allowed Shapovalov to break right back. The Canadian then had a chance to break for the lead in the eighth game but a vicious forehand slice from Gaubas denied a break point and he went on to hold.
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In the very next game, Shapovalov was back under pressure on serve. He saved a break point with a big serve but after a spectacular stabbing forehand down the line from the Lithuanian created a second, the Canadian again double-faulted to put his opponent within a game of victory. Gaubas closed out the upset in the following game.
Félix Auger-Aliassime is the only Canadian man left in the Rome draw after Shapovalov and Gabriel Diallo’s defeats. Auger-Aliassime plays his opening match on Saturday.
Feature Photo : Mauricio Paiz
