Victoria Mboko won the second WTA title of her career as the 19-year-old outlasted the more experienced Cristina Bucsa in the final of the Prudential Hong Kong Open.
Mboko overpowered the Spaniard 7-5, 6-7 (9/11), 6-2 at Victoria Park to add the Hong Kong crown to her breakout victory at her home Canadian Open in August.
Mboko, who is at a career-high ranking of 21 in the world, defeated the 2021 US Open runner-up and fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez in three sets in Saturday's semi-finals.
Against the 27-year-old Bucsa, who is ranked 68, Mboko's big serve and clubbing ground strokes proved crucial, as they gradually wore down her Spanish opponent over nearly three hours.
"It's been an incredible week,” said Mboko, who was ranked 350 at the end of last year and had her father watching in the crowd.
"Wow, what a match, I'm so tired right now. Cristina really pushed me to my limits.”
Mboko broke serve to seal the first set, then began the second in the same fashion before holding for an early 3-0 lead and put the title within grasp.
But Bucsa, who was chasing a first singles title, reeled off three games in a row to level the set 3-3 and then survived a championship point in the tiebreak to force a decider.
Mboko recovered her poise in the final set, sealing the deal when her opponent fired a return into the net.
Meanwhile, China's Wang Yafan and Jiang Xinyu beat Thai Peangtarn Plipuech and Japanese Momoko Kobori 6-4, 6-2 to lift the doubles title.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
