By the numbers: Mboko solves Gibson’s early serving brilliance to win in Hong Kong

On a Tuesday afternoon in Hong Kong already marked by one major upset, Victoria Mboko made sure there wouldn’t be another.

Hong Kong: Scores | Draws | Order of play

To do so, the No. 3 seed had to overcome the surprisingly potent serve of Australia’s Talia Gibson who won the first set in a tiebreak. But Mboko solved the puzzle, rallying for a 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4 victory in 1 hour and 48 minutes to reach the second round of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.

“Talia was playing really amazing tennis, and I found it really hard to keep up with her,” Mboko said after the match. “But throughout the match, I started to find more rhythm. I just wanted to stay in there and use as many chances as I could. So, I’m glad I got the win today and I want to thank everyone who came to support.”

Though she dropped the opener, Mboko didn’t start slow. Instead, it was Gibson, ranked No. 134 in the world, who delivered an equally improbable and impressive effort early on, holding to love in each of her first five service games and dominating the tiebreak to take the lead.

Momentum shifted sharply in the second set, as Mboko finally began to make some headway on her opponent’s serve. After Gibson held for the seventh straight time to start the match, Mboko broke her three times in a row to close out the set. All the while, she fired ace after ace, finishing with 14 by the end of the set.

In the decider, both players traded holds until 3-all. It was then that Gibson earned her first break point since the opening game of the match, but Mboko saved it and held serve. Then, in an ironic twist of fate, Gibson’s serve, which was so dominant early, betrayed her. Serving to stay in the match, she was broken, her final shot landing in the net as she was forced to settle for a job well done, albeit a job not quite finished.

The result marks Mboko’s third win in four matches following a four-match skid. It also sends the 19-year-old to the second round of a WTA 250 tournament for the first time in her career.

Here are the numbers detailing how Mboko managed to finish the job in the end:

1: It’s Mboko’s first WTA 250 win, coming in the WTA 1000 champion’s second match at the level and first since 2022. It was also the first career meeting between her and Gibson, who was playing her first WTA main draw match since the US Open.

2: Break points faced by Mboko. She saved both and converted four of five on Gibson’s serve on her way to victory.

19: Aces by Mboko, including 11 in the opening set.

20: Consecutive points won on serve by Gibson to start the match. She dropped just three points on serve en route to claiming the first set.

25: Length of the rain delay in minutes that occurred midway through the first set. For reference, Mboko needed just 22 minutes to win the second set.

Next up, Mboko will face a fellow newcomer on the rise, Alexandra Eala, for the first time at pro level. The 20-year-old Filipina advanced after 2024 finalist Katie Boulter was forced to retire trailing 6-4, 2-1 due to a left leg injury. The pair have met in the juniors before -- Eala won their 2022 US Open girls' semifinal 6-1, 7-6(5) en route to the title.

“It’s the last tournament of the season, so I want to push as far as I can and have as much fun as I can this week,” Mboko said. “It’s a very nice tournament, so I’m glad I get to spend the last week here.”

In other Hong Kong news, Himeno Sakatsume dropped just three games in a 6-2, 6-1 win over No. 4 seed Sofia Kenin, earning her first career victory against a top 100 opponent in 1 hour and 12 minutes. She'll face home favorite Eudice Chong in the second round. No. 629-ranked Chong upset Suzan Lamens 6-3, 6-4 to become the first Hongkonger to win a WTA main-draw match since Guangzhou 2014, when Zhang Ling made the second round.