Mboko rallies past Gibson’s serving storm in Hong Kong

In the humid embrace of Victoria Park on a Tuesday afternoon already electric with one upset, the third-seeded Victoria Mboko faced a serving onslaught from Australia’s Talia Gibson. The 19-year-old Canadian dropped the first set in a tiebreak but regrouped to claim a 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-4 victory that lasted 1 hour and 48 minutes, marking her debut win at WTA 250 level in her second main-draw match there since 2022. This triumph, her third in four outings after a four-match skid, propelled her into the second round of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open against the winner of Alexandra Eala and Katie Boulter, opponents she has yet to face at this tier.

Gibson’s serve erects an early barrier

Ranked No. 134, Gibson delivered an improbable masterclass from the outset, holding to love in her first five service games and compiling 20 consecutive points on serve to start the match. Her flat, penetrating deliveries exploited the outdoor hardcourts’ low skid, forcing Mboko into stretched crosscourt returns and defensive positioning deep behind the baseline, while underspin on second serves kept the Canadian off-balance. A 25-minute rain delay midway through the opener only amplified the tension, yet Gibson dropped just three points on serve en route to dominating the tiebreak with inside-out forehands that pinned her foe wide.

Mboko absorbed the pressure without fracturing, varying her returns to probe Gibson’s one–two patterns, though the Australian’s hold at 3-all in the first set loomed as a mental hurdle. The crowd, blending locals and expats under the park’s leafy canopy, sensed the shift as Gibson’s aces mounted, her first WTA main-draw appearance since the US Open carrying underdog fire. For deeper tournament insights, the Hong Kong Scores, Draws, and Order of play track the unfolding action.

Mboko ignites with return aggression

The second set signaled Mboko’s tactical awakening, as she stepped inside the baseline on returns to neutralize Gibson’s pace, finally cracking the serve after seven straight holds against her. She broke three times in succession, her inside-out forehands targeting backhand vulnerabilities down-the-line, while unleashing 11 aces in the opener as part of a 19-ace total that overwhelmed the Australian’s positioning. The court’s moderate bounce aided her heavy topspin, syncing footwork with the tempo to convert four of five break points and wrap the set in a brisk 22 minutes, the stands erupting as momentum cascaded her way.

This surge reflected not just skill but catharsis, the Canadian channeling a season of near-misses—including her WTA 1000 title—into propulsive groundstrokes that exposed Gibson’s growing errors. Gibson’s delivery, once impenetrable, began yielding under the humid weight, her qualifier grit tested by Mboko’s top-seed poise. The 19-year-old saved both break points she faced, a stat underscoring her resolve amid the event’s closing-week stakes.

2: Break points faced by Mboko. She saved both and converted four of five on Gibson’s serve on her way to victory.

Passed a tough test 💪

Victoria Mboko comes back from a set down to defeat Gibson (2)6-7, 6-1, 6-4!#PHKTO2025 pic.twitter.com/3R4Ud2xbdE

— wta (@WTA) October 28, 2025

Decider flips on serving irony

In the third set, holds alternated until 3-all, when Gibson generated her first break point since the opening game, deploying low slices that hugged the lines to pressure Mboko’s forehand. The Canadian erased it with a diving inside-in winner that sparked the crowd, then held firm, her serve evolving into the match’s anchor as the Australian’s faltered. At 5-4, serving to stay in, Gibson netted a backhand under duress, her early brilliance betraying her in a twist that handed Mboko the win and a career milestone.

The victory lifted the psychological fog from recent defeats, positioning the 19-year-old for a strong finish to the year on these quick courts where return depth decides fates. “It’s the last tournament of the season, so I want to push as far as I can and have as much fun as I can this week,” Mboko reflected. “It’s a very nice tournament, so I’m glad I get to spend the last week here.”

Elsewhere, Himeno Sakatsume dismantled No. 4 seed Sofia Kenin 6-2, 6-1 in 1 hour and 12 minutes, dropping just three games for her first top-100 victory and advancing to face local favorite Eudice Chong. As #PHKTO2025 pulses through the draws on October 28, 2025, Mboko’s arc from doubt to dominance hints at deeper runs ahead in this unpredictable WTA 250 field.