Victoria Mboko addresses whether she will play in Cincinnati after Canadian Open run
Victoria Mboko has addressed whether she will compete at the Cincinnati Open following her outstanding run in Montreal.
The 18-year-old, who is competing as a wildcard, has advanced to the semi-finals on her debut at the WTA 1000 event in Canada.
Mboko downed world No 51 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2 in the quarter-finals after her stunning 6-1, 6-4 last 16 upset of top seed Coco Gauff.
The Canadian also saw off former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in the second round, while her third round victory over Marie Bouzkova is the only match in which she has lost a set.
Following her quarter-final win against Bouzas Maneiro, Mboko revealed she was yet to decide on her Cincinnati participation.
“Well, right now, I mean, I’m entered in, but I’m not sure,” she explained.
“I want to see how I’m going to do here first. It’s still up in the air. Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know.”
With the points earned for reaching the last four in Montreal, Mboko has surged 37 places in the Live WTA Rankings to a projected new career-high of 48th.
Victoria Mboko News
Who are Victoria Mboko’s parents and siblings? Canadian star’s family inspired her rise
How Victoria Mboko followed in two former world No 1 players’ footsteps at the Canadian Open
Mboko, who is currently ranked 85th, did not make the cut for direct entry at the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati, where main draw play will begin on Thursday August 7 — the same day as the final in Montreal.
She was originally on the entry list for the Cincinnati qualifying event, which started on Tuesday, but her progress in Canada meant she was unable to feature.
Given that Mboko’s run has prevented her from playing qualifying in Cincinnati, she could be given a special exempt (SE) main draw entry.
It is also possible that Mboko could receive one of the five women’s singles wildcards for Cincinnati that are yet to be announced.
In the same press conference, Mboko was asked for her thoughts on the two-week WTA 1000 format, which is being used in Canada for the first time this year.
“As for two-week tournaments, honestly… everything is too new to me, so I haven’t had time to think about it and form a stance on the issue,” she said.
“I mean, right now, I see how great it feels to have a day off between matches, but you know, there’s also a very demanding tournament next week.
“Right now, I’m only focused on what happens this week. I haven’t even had time to think about it.”
On how she feels, Mboko added: “Right now, I don’t feel fresh, but I don’t feel too tired either. I think having the day off between matches is a big help; this intermediate day helps us regroup and recharge.
“It’s also true that every day I’ve been doing what I needed to recover well. Most of my matches have been at night, so afterward, I have a lot of time during the day to take a nap or do anything else I need to arrive prepared at night. Yes, I feel pretty good right now.”
READ NEXT: Who is Victoria Mboko’s coach? How former Wimbledon finalist is guiding rising star
