Victoria Mboko's miracle: Saves match point and stuns Elena Rybakina in third-set tiebreak

Victoria Mboko is continuing her dream week after defeating former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to reach her first WTA-level final at the Canadian Open. The 18-year-old star overcame a tough start and ended up securing a hard-fought victory with a score of 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) to reach her first WTA 1000 final.

The Canadian star is looking to become the first local champion since Bianca Andreescu back in 2019, when she was also 19 years old. Mboko is guaranteed a significant rise in the rankings to world No. 34, and she will also have the possibility of being seeded at the US Open if she wins the title this Friday, when she faces the winner between Naomi Osaka and Clara Tauson.

On the other hand, Rybakina was left at the doorstep of the top 10 and a return to a WTA 1000 final after squandering a match point at 5-4 in the third set while serving. The Kazakh player leaves with a bitter defeat and will travel to the Cincinnati Open in search of a better result before heading to New York for the US Open.

The Kazakh player, as the more experienced in these situations, had the responsibility and showed it from the start. She began with a great first service game and earned an opening break against a low-effective Mboko on serve. The Canadian responded with a break that closed the gap to 1-2, but from there, she lost complete control of the match.

Rybakina secured a second consecutive break after a long service game from Mboko in the fourth game. The Kazakh player would not take her foot off the gas and won four games in a row in her favor, breaking in all three of Mboko's service games so far. The teenager's 70% first-serve percentage was of little use to her, as she only won 53% of points on her first serve and a mere 13% on her second. Rybakina comfortably took the set 6-1, also taking advantage of Mboko's three double faults.

In the second set, Mboko quickly saved a break point in the opening game and took the lead after creating up to three break opportunities before taking the advantage. Mboko went up 3-0 without problems and put the Kazakh player in a difficult position.

Rybakina went from winning 64% of points on her serve to just 51%, losing security when the responsibility was in her hands. Still, Rybakina managed to win three games in a row and restore parity, though the joy would not last long. Mboko got the break and took a 5-3 lead, with the possibility of closing the set with her serve. However, the former Wimbledon champion reacted quickly and restored parity at 5-5. The Canadian was better in the final part of the match, getting a break to avoid the tiebreak and taking the set 7-5.

Mboko had managed to keep pace with Rybakina and capitalize on opportunities in moments of high tension. At the start of the third set, Mboko looked like a veteran and held her service games without problems, even managing to cause some difficulties for her rival with her returns.

However, Rybakina's experience paid off on this occasion. She secured a break in the fifth game and then survived a long service game, where she saved two break points and went up 4-2 after 18 points. Mboko fought, but she could do little against a determined Rybakina, who did not hesitate on her serve.

The tense moments arrived when Rybakina served for the victory and even had a match point on her serve, but she squandered it, and Mboko leveled the score. In the next game, Rybakina responded with a break and had a second chance to close out the victory with her serve, but she failed again, with Mboko getting a second consecutive break.

With a boost of confidence, the Canadian went to the tie-break for a spot in the final. The teenager was always a step ahead of her rival in the tie-break and ended up winning four of the last five points played—including two mini-breaks—which gave her a dream victory with a score of 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) to reach her first WTA 1000 final.

In the final, she awaits her opponent, who will be the winner between Naomi Osaka and Clara Tauson. Mboko has also secured her first appareance in the top-35. The Canadian could still move up to No. 24 if she wins the title.