In the final set, Mboko did not face a break point while claiming half of her return points to pull away from the reigning Australian Open title holder.
“She hits a pretty strong ball, and all I was thinking in that moment was just to try to stay low and try to redirect as much as I could, and try to either make her miss first or have a good opportunity to take control,” Mboko assessed during a press conference Thursday.
The world No. 17, who captured her maiden WTA title on home soil last August at the 1000-level event in Montreal, is seeking her third trophy following a winning conclusion to 2025 in Hong Kong. Local hopeful Kimberly Birrell, the competitor she defeated at the start of that memorable seven-match run, awaits in the semifinals.
“I’m expecting a big fight tomorrow. She also has the crowd advantage, so that’s good for her,” she said. “But I’m going to just go in the match like I do every other match, and just stay right in there, try to play my game, and just have fun on court.”
