Aryna Sabalenka vs. Victoria Mboko: Where to Watch, Preview and Prediction
The 19-year-old says she can’t quite believe she’s in the Top 10 already, but she’s playing like she belongs.
Preview and Prediction
“It was a big eye-opener playing her in the Australian Open,” Mboko says of Sabalenka. “Hopefully I can hold my ground a bit more against her.”
Sabalenka opened the 19-year-old Mboko’s eyes by bullying her through a 6-1 first set in Melbourne. The Canadian is nothing if not a quick study, though, and she pushed the top seed to a second-set tiebreaker.
Sabalenka will try to be the baseline boss when they meet again; she overpowered Naomi Osaka in two impressive sets on Tuesday. But Mboko may be better equipped to fight back. In the two months since Australia, she has made a 1000 final in Doha, and jumped from No. 18 to No. 10. She says she can’t quite believe she’s in the Top 10 already, but she’s playing like she belongs. On Tuesday night, she smoothly defused another big hitter, Amanda Anisimova, in two quick sets.
Mboko has a game that could also trouble Sabalenka. She’s fast, and has counter-punching power. But I’ll say it will take her another lesson from the WTA’s best before she’s ready to beat her. Winner: Sabalenka
All eight singles quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Open take place Thursday, March 11—and they're all streaming on the Tennis Channel app:
👉 Aryna Sabalenka vs. Victoria Mboko
👉 Jannik Sinner vs. Learner Tien
👉 Alexander Zverev vs. Arthur Fils
👉 Linda Noskova vs. Talia Gibson
👉 Iga Swiatek vs. Elina Svitolina
👉 Carlos Alcaraz vs. Cam Norrie