WTA Adelaide International Round-Up: Victoria Mboko fights back from a set down as Emma Navarro dominates local young star

The second week of competition in the Aussie swing – ahead of the Australian Open – kicked off at the WTA 500 Adelaide International with some interesting clashes, highlighting the hard-fought victory of teenager Victoria Mboko over the experienced Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

She was not the only one in action, as sixth seed Emma Navarro recorded her first win of the season, defeating 17-year-old local star Emerson Jones in straight sets, in a solid performance from the young wildcard.

One of the players generating expectations for the new season is Canadian Victoria Mboko, one of last year’s breakouts with her WTA 1000 Canadian Open title. She now has to prove why she rose so quickly into the top-20, seeking consistency at the top level.

For now, it was a good start with the victory over Beatriz Haddad Maia in three sets, coming from a set down. In the first set, the Brazilian went ahead with a break in the fourth game, but Mboko quickly recovered and leveled at 3-3. Things remained safe for both players for several games, but in the final moments, Mboko hesitated slightly, and Haddad Maia took her opportunity to secure the break in the 12th game and take the set 7-5.

It was a mental test for the 19-year-old, who managed to overcome the first-set deficit and take control in the second. Her first-serve percentage of 80% and 75% of points won on first serve kept her safe throughout the set. While there were not many opportunities for either player, both took their chances: Mboko converted three breaks in four opportunities, while Haddad Maia converted 1/1 – though it was not enough to get back into the set, which Mboko dominated 6-3.

In the final set, Mboko did not lower her level and maintained a service game that left her opponent with almost no chances. The 19-year-old conceded only four points on serve in the third set, while being relentless from the return, with Haddad Maia winning just 27% of second-serve points. Mboko converted two break opportunities and closed her first victory of 2026 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 after just over two hours. In the second round, she will face Anna Kalinskaya or Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

On center court, another interesting match took place after Mboko’s win. American world No. 15 Emma Navarro earned her first victory of the season, bouncing back from a disappointing first-round exit at the ASB Classic. This time, she took advantage of being the favourite against 17-year-old Emerson Jones, former junior No. 1 and now world No. 147.

Navarro entered the match knowing the importance of starting strong, especially with the need to gain confidence before traveling to Melbourne and with the risk of losing ranking points due to the points she is defending this month.

The American showed her experience, breaking early and quickly taking a 3-0 lead. Jones began to find her first serves and gain confidence on court, but the deficit was irrecoverable against a determined Navarro, who barely made mistakes on serve. At 5-3, Navarro faced two break points but managed to save them and take the set 6-3.

The second set was a true rollercoaster, especially due to Jones’ fragile serve, which Navarro exploited, converting 3 of 5 break opportunities. Although Jones earned her first break of the match, it wasn’t enough to challenge the former world No. 8. Navarro went up 5-1 and held match point, but Jones fought back to recover one break. Still, Navarro closed the victory 6-3, 6-3 and advanced to the second round, where she will face the winner of the match between Yulia Putintseva and Dalma Galfi, both qualifiers.