Alexandrova dominates Mboko under Wuhan’s night lights

In the humid hush of Wuhan’s Optics Valley International Tennis Centre, Ekaterina Alexandrova capped the first day of the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open by dismantling Canadian prodigy Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-2. The No. 9 seed’s flat groundstrokes cut through the medium-paced hardcourt like a blade, dropping just five games over 80 minutes while the crowd thinned under the weight of late-night Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. This efficient dispatch not only advanced her to the second round but hinted at a player rediscovering her rhythm in a season marked by breakthroughs and fleeting WTA 1000 promise.

Early breaks forge commanding leads

Alexandrova wasted no time, surging to a 5-1 edge in the opening set with deep crosscourt returns that jammed Mboko’s backhand and forced hurried errors. The 30-year-old’s inside-out forehands skidded low off the surface, pinning the 19-year-old deep and disrupting any chance for the underspin she relies on to reset points. Though Mboko clawed back a break, injecting a flicker of tension, Alexandrova regrouped swiftly, her one–two serve-forehand combination nipping the rally and securing the set at 6-3 with a down-the-line backhand winner that drew sparse but fervent applause past 11 p.m.

The second set echoed the first, as she again built a 5-1 cushion by varying her serve to the body, opening angles for inside-in forehands that Mboko couldn’t counter without overreaching. Her footwork stayed crisp, covering the court with the poise of someone shedding the mental weight of uneven big-event starts—this marked only her fourth opening-round win in nine WTA 1000 appearances this season. Closing on her first match-point chance with a booming ace, she advanced, her fifth victory in the last six against WTA 1000 champions dating to that Miami upset of Iga Swiatek.

Her words carried the warmth of gratitude, acknowledging fans who lingered despite the hour and the festival’s pull, while underscoring her desire to extend this stay on courts that reward her penetrating style.

Surface suits her power baseline

The hardcourt’s true bounce amplified Alexandrova’s flat shots, letting them skid through without the high kick that slower surfaces demand, and Mboko’s flat-hitting approach faltered against the veteran’s tactical patience. The Canadian, winless in three WTA matches since her Montreal triumph, struggled to vary her responses, her drop-shot attempts sailing long under pressure as Alexandrova’s returns kept her pinned. This matchup exposed the gaps in Mboko’s adaptation to elite paces, a stark turn for a sensation now grappling with the tour’s unrelenting demands.

For Alexandrova, the win eases the pressure of a breakout year where highs have demanded sustained proof in these arenas, her movement feeling unburdened as fireworks faintly lit the night sky. She eyes stringing together victories here, where the grippy yet quick conditions align with her aggressive returns and heavy topspin, potentially fueling a run that silences lingering doubts.

Upsets ripple through opening day

While Alexandrova cruised, earlier action revealed the draw’s volatility, with Katerina Siniakova becoming the first to oust a seed by grinding out a 6-4, 6-4 win over No. 15 Diana Shnaider in 92 minutes. The doubles expert, who battled through qualifying, mixed slice backhands with one–two serves to disrupt the Russian’s power, claiming her fourth top-20 victory of 2025; she now faces 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint. Joint outlasted home favorite Zhu Lin in a tense battle, the No. 215-ranked Chinese player summoning crowd-fueled fire to take early leads in both sets, save four match points, and hold one set point in a marathon second-set tiebreak before falling on the fifth opportunity with a down-the-line forehand sealing the Australian’s advance.

Chinese players ended Day 1 at 1-2, Yuan Yue the standout as she defeated Lucia Bronzetti in straight sets highlighted by two tiebreaks, her baseline steadiness setting up a clash with Jasmine Paolini. Moyuka Uchijima, after eliminating Wang Xiyu in qualifying’s final round, followed with a win over 2024 semifinalist Wang Xinyu and draws a test against Coco Gauff next, her counterpunching poised to challenge the American’s speed. No. 10 seed Clara Tauson navigated a 6-3, 7-5 thriller against Olga Danilovic in under two hours, her serve variations thwarting a late surge; she meets Antonia Ruzic, who upset Magda Linette to stir further momentum.

On a roll 🛼

Ekaterina Alexandrova defeats Mboko 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the second round in Wuhan.#WuhanOpen pic.twitter.com/pwHBrQ7JBL

— wta (@WTA) October 6, 2025

As the tournament pulses forward—track developments via the Wuhan scores, draws, and order of play—Alexandrova’s poised execution amid the festival’s haze positions her to channel this nightcap into deeper pursuits. The psychological lift from fans’ endurance and her own tactical sharpness could propel her through a field ripe for surprises, where every late serve carries the weight of untapped potential.