Mcnally has been eliminated 6-4, 6-3 to reach the Australian Open 3the third round
It was a North American contest as Canada’s Victoria Mboko took on Caty McNally of the United States. Mboko, in her Australian Open debut, is 19 years old, ranked a career high 16and it is planted 17th.
She started last season ranked well outside the top 300still finished the year #18 at the end of winning two titles, incl 1000-Level event on home soil in Montreal. She ended the season with one 250-The level title in Hong Kong and, fittingly, was voted WTA newcomer of the year.
McNally, five years older, continues to climb back up the rankings after a chronic elbow injury that required surgery. Achieving a career high rank of #54 IN 2023she is currently #85. Although she led head on 1-0they last played almost two years ago.
Reuters/Edgar Su
In soft but windy conditions, McNally won the toss and elected to take. Mboko lost 3/5 serves first, including a double fault but held on 15 while McNally held 30 despite a double fault.
The Canadian served up two consecutive unforced errors 30 ABOUT 2-1while McNally, despite two strong winners, faced a break point and dropped serve. Mboko lost three first serves in a row, including another double fault, and converted the break with an errant backhand pass.
The American did 3/5 serves first and consolidated the break with a well-placed overhead tee serve as Mboko did 3/5 first it is easy to serve and maintain 15 ABOUT 4-3.
McNally served with new balls, faced a break point and deuce, but held after two consecutive errors by her opponent. Mboko regrouped admirably, holding on at love with a brilliant pass to the second line. McNally, serving to stay in the set, opened with a service winner and volley, but conceded it with three unforced errors, including a second double fault.
Mboko served first in the second, but with three forehand errors, the serve was thrown away. Incredibly, McNally consolidated the break for 2-0 despite two double faults in a row, three deuces and a break point! Mboko, clearly frustrated by the decline, continued to fight. She opened the third with three consecutive forehand errors, faced a triple break point and dropped serve.
McNally up to a double break looked positioned to take the set but faced a break point after another double fault and dropped serve when Mboko ripped a backhand inside.
the world #16 opened the fifth with a backhander but was held 30 when her opponent did the same. McNally, still on a break, failed to make further inroads and dropped serve after two back-to-back errors and inspired play from her opponent.
Mboko serving with new balls and level at three faced two deuce points and a break point but held with a monster forehand down the line and an overpowered forehand from McNally. The American faced deuces, three break points and dropped serve with her fifth double fault.
Mboko served for the match and although she lost her first three serves in a row, she closed it out in straight sets with her first ace. While she intermittently lost focus, she reasserted her authority and now finds herself in the third round of her first Grand Slam of the season.
She will need to serve better if she hopes to advance to the round of sixteen. She won 60First % and 58% of second serve points. She escaped 4/7 breakpoints during conversion 5/10 and hit 16 the winners of 25 unforced errors.
further, 14Denmark’s winner, Clara Tauson, who went through a tough three-set against Polina Kudermetova. This will be their first meeting at tournament level with the round of sixteen of the Australian Open on the line.
