Hong Kong Open Round-Up: Victoria Mboko defeats fellow Canadian as Bucsa upsets Joint for maiden WTA singes final

The Hong Kong Open final is set, with Victoria Mboko getting the better of fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach her first WTA final since her breakthrough run in the Canadian Open.

It was a highly touted matchup between the pair, who faced off for the first time in Hong Kong. Mboko went into the clash after finally finding her feet once more after enduring a barren spell following her Canadian Open triumph. It has been the opposite for Fernandez, who picked up the Japan Open title a couple of weeks ago before reaching another semi-final this week. However, she was not able to make a third final in 2025.

It was an ominous start from the former US Open finalist, who stormed out to a 3-0 lead in the opening set. She had a brace of chances to make it 5-1 ahead of serving the set out, but would have to wait a couple of games later to break the Mboko serve once more and sail out into a promising lead.

The 23-year-old did not lose a point on her serve in the premature stages of the second set. But when she did, she fell behind to Mboko who clinched a break of her own. Fernandez had the chance to instantly put the match back on serve but squandered her sole opportunity. The 19-year-old would force a deciding set after clinically breaking to love to level the tie.

She would then go and take full command of the tie, not looking back after an eight-point spurt saw her break the serve and charge into a 4-1 lead. All she had to do was hold her serve and she was in the final, but she was impatient and broke her fellow countrywoman's serve to seal the deal, claiming her second match point.

It was guaranteed a Canadian would be in the final, with the questions being whether they would face an Aussie or a Spaniard. Turns out it would quite comfortably be Spanish star Cristina Bucsa who defeated rising talent Maya Joint 6-3, 6-1 to blast herself into a first WTA singles final.

After four holds of serve, the signs looked positive for Bucsa after she has two break opportunities. Fortunately for Joint, she was able to hold her off, but it would not be long before she came back. After levelling at 3-3, the 27-year-old finally clinched a break point to take the advantage before swiping another two games at the end of the set to take the lead. It did take her four set points to wrap it up, with Joint perilously close to putting the tie back on serve.

Bucsa continued her positive form into the second set, racing into a 3-0 lead before Joint got on the board. Unfortunately for the Aussie, this would be the last game she won in Hong Kong, as Bucsa stole another break before closing out proceedings with her first match point. It was a surprising result, but a deserved victory for the Spaniard, who will clash against Mboko for the title in Hong Kong.