Victoria Mboko’s Doha debut didn’t quite end in the winner’s circle, but the Canadian No. 1 still impressed in the Qatari capital.
Mboko defeated Top 10 players Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina en route to the Qatar TotalEnergies Open final, coming up short of the title after losing 6-4, 7-5 to world No. 19 Karolina Muchova on Saturday.
The 19-year-old from Burlington became the first teenager to make the Doha final since Jelena Ostapenko in 2016 as she departs as a Top 10 player.
Muchova was at her best right out of the gates, in search of her maiden WTA 1000 title. The Czech tested Mboko’s delivery in the third game, forcing the Canadian to battle through deuce three for the eventual hold. However, at 3-3, 15-40, Muchova initiated the first bit of significant pressure and broke for the opening-set advantage.
The world No. 19 conceded just one point on serve the rest of the way, clinching the opener after winning 86 per cent of her first-serve points in the set.
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Mboko had a strong response to start the second. The Burlington effectively served her way out of a love-40 hole in the fifth game, thanks in part to two of her four aces in the match, then held her first break point at 2-3, 15-40. The teen fired a backhand winner to lead 4-2.
Unfortunately for the Canadian, Muchova was unfazed. The Czech No. 2 won eight of the next nine points, clinching two games on the bounce to even the set.
At 5-5, Muchova arguably played her best return game of the night, and it came in a crucial spot as the 29-year-old broke, setting her up to serve for the title. The Czech quickly gained a 40-love advantage and needed just one match point to finally get her hands on WTA 1000 silverware.
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Mboko’s time in the Middle East continues next week though, as she gets another crack at WTA 1000 glory in Dubai, her first tournament as a Top 10 player, opening the event against world No. 36 Jaqueline Cristian of Romania.
Feature Photo: Martin Sidorjak
