Australian Open Victoria Mboko must admit defeat against Aryna Sabalenka

Canadian Victoria Mboko’s good run at the Australian Open ended in the fourth round this Sunday in Melbourne.

The 17^e top seed, who was the last representative of the maple leaf in singles, lost 6-1, 7-6 (1) to world number one, Aryna Sabalenka.

The Belarusian only needed 1 hour 26 minutes to overcome the 19-year-old Ontarian.

The first set was one-sided, with Sabalenka winning 81% of the points contested on her first serve and hitting three aces, compared to a meager 42% success rate and no aces for her opponent.

Mboko, however, fought well in the second round. She hit three aces and won 57% of points played on her first serve, two statistics identical to Sabalenka. The latter, however, was dominant in the tiebreaker, taking a 6-0 lead before winning 7-1.

The number one player in the world finished the duel with 31 winning shots and 24 unforced errors, compared to 19 winning shots and 20 unforced errors for Mboko, who could join the top 15 world at the conclusion of this Grand Slam tournament.

“What an incredible player for her age! exclaimed Sabalenka, 27, about the Canadian. It’s incredible to see these young people break through on the circuit. I find it hard to believe it. I feel like I’m still a child. »

“She pushed me so hard, and I’m glad it’s over,” Sabalenka added during her on-court interview.

The Belarusian also won a 20^e consecutive tiebreaker.

“I try not to think about a tiebreaker and play point by point, and I think that’s the key to consistency,” she said.

Sabalenka won this Grand Slam tournament in 2023 and 2024 and was finalist last year against Madison Keys. She also won two U.S. Open titles.

Mboko reached this stage of the competition thanks to a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-3 victory against Danish Clara Tauson, 14^e seeded, in the third round.

In women’s doubles, Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and Brazilian Luisa Stefani defeated American Nicole Melichar and Spaniard Cristina Bucșa 6-4, 6-3 in the third round.

Dabrowski and his partner, seeded fifth, won 61% of the points played on their first ball and especially 70% of the points played on their second serve.

In the quarterfinals, Dabrowski and Stefani will face the winners of the duel between Su-Wei Hsieh and Jeļena Ostapenko, third seeds, and Sofia Kenin and Laura Siegemund, 13^are favorites.