Victoria Mboko eased past the BNP Paribas Open third round on Sunday, taking down No. 23 seed Anna Kalinskaya in a little over one hour.
The Canadian No. 1 continued to impress in her Indian Wells debut thanks to the 6-4, 6-1 victory over Kalinskaya. Both players were strong on serve in the opening set, but it was all Mboko in the second. The 19-year-old from Burlington won 80 per cent of her first-serve points and saved both break points she faced. The world No. 10 broke three times, once to take the opener then twice in the second as she cruised to the round of 16.
Kalinskaya had a solid start to the match, firing a winner down the line on each of her first two game points to comfortably get through her opening two service games.
Despite only making 65 per cent of her first serves in the set, Mboko conceded just two of those points while unleashing her only three aces of the match. At 4-5, the Canadian finally got a read on Kalinskaya’s delivering, holding the first break points of the night at 15-40. Mboko watched the world No. 22’s backhand float wide as she clinched the opening set.
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In the second, the Burlingtonian piled the pressure, which Kalinskaya had no answer for. Mboko converted on two of the three break points she held in her first two return games, capping off the back-to-back breaks with a hold to go 5-0 in front.
Serving for the match at 5-1, the Canadian teen had first had to fight off some break points at 15-40, before she won four points on the bounce to extend her Indian Wells debut.
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Mboko’s tests will get more difficult as the Canuck meets world No. 6 Amanda Anisimova in round four on Tuesday. If Mboko comes out on top, she will face either world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka or National Bank Open runner-up Naomi Osaka in the quarters.
Feature Photo: Sarah-Jade Champagne
