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After taking a back-and-forth — and
error-filled — first set, Mboko was broken in a sluggish start
to the second set but broke back in the fourth and sixth games
to take a 4-2 advantage.
Mboko is the first Canadian to reach the WTA 1000 event’s
semifinals since Bianca Andreescu’s title run in 2019. She’s
also the youngest woman to reach the semis since Belinda
Bencic’s 2015 win in Toronto.
Mboko will face Elena Rybakina, who led Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 2-1
when the Ukrainian was forced to stop playing because of an
apparent arm injury.
Rybakina, the No. 9 seed from Kazakhstan, converted three of her
10 break-point chances in the quarterfinal matchup at IGA
Stadium. The players shook hands at the 54-minute mark before
the 24th-seeded Kostyuk exited the court in tears.
After the third game, Kostyu's trainers wrapped her forearm in
medical tape.
In a breakthrough year, Mboko has surged from outside the top
300 to a career-high No. 85. That number is projected to climb
to at least No. 55, according to WTA live rankings.
After two injury-plagued years, Mboko — who had shown promise as
a junior — opened the season with a 22-match win streak and
captured five titles on the lower-tier ITF Tour.
She then qualified for her first Grand Slam main draw at the
French Open, reaching the third round, before stunning
25th-seeded Magdalena Frech in the first round at Wimbledon.
And the upsets keep coming.
In Montreal, Mboko has rattled off wins over 79th-ranked
Kimberly Birrell, No. 23 seed Sofia Kenin, 39th-ranked Marie
Bouzkova and Gauff, who is ranked No. 2.
Her latest victory boosted her record to 25-8 against
higher-ranked players and 51-9 in all competitions.
In the other quarterfinals Tuesday, No. 6 seed Madison Keys —
the highest-seeded player remaining — faces No. 16 Clara Tauson,
and former No. 1-ranked Naomi Osaka meets No. 10 seed Elina
Svitolina.
The tournament final is Thursday.
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