Top seed Victoria Mboko held her nerves to defeat Jaqueline Cristian 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-2 in the semi-finals of the Internationaux de Strasbourg tennis tournament on Friday (22 May).
Mboko, 19, won a dramatic opening set in a tiebreak after Cristian had managed to save a series of set points.
In the second set, Romania’s Cristian had a double-break lead and controlled the play as the Canadian top seed attempted to mount a comeback. The Paris 2024 Olympian levelled the match by taking it 6-3 to send it to a decider.
But the teenager firmly controlled the final frame. The World No.9 reduced her unforced errors in the third set, breaking Cristian’s serve twice to take the lead. Mboko maintained her advantage to power through to the final, winning in two hours and 52 minutes.
She will face Emma Navarro of the USA in the final. Navarro secured her place in the final with a straight-sets win over compatriot Ann Li, 6-1, 6-3.
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/tennis-victoria-mboko-edges-jaqueline-cristian-semifinal-thriller-strasbourg-2026
