Sports
Osaka to Face Teen Star Mboko in Canadian Open Final
Naomi Osaka will face 18-year-old Victoria Mboko in the Canadian Open final after both earned hard-fought semi-final wins on Wednesday in Montreal.
Osaka, chasing her first WTA title since the 2021 Australian Open, overcame Denmark’s Clara Tauson 6-2, 7-6(7).
The four-time Grand Slam champion saved two set points in the second-set tiebreak and sealed her first WTA 1000 final appearance since 2022.
Mboko, a wildcard ranked 85th, stunned ninth seed Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) in a tense, emotional battle.
The Canadian teenager saved a match point, overcame a wrist injury, and rallied from a break down in the final set to reach her first tour-level final.
Mboko has already taken out French Open winner Coco Gauff and now looks to cap her breakout week with a title.
Osaka praised the teen’s composure and resilience, calling her comeback “really impressive for an 18-year-old.”
Regardless of Sunday’s result, Mboko is set to enter the world’s top 40, while Osaka is guaranteed a seeding at the US Open later this month.
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