Melbourne, Jan. 19 -- Victoria Mboko made a confident start to her 2026 Australian Open campaign, advancing to the second round with a straight-sets victory on Monday.
The 19-year-old Canadian, seeded 17th, overcame Australian teenager Emerson Jones 6-4, 6-1 in an all-teenage first-round encounter at Melbourne Park. Despite strong support for the home favourite, Mboko delivered a composed and authoritative performance to register her first win of the tournament.
The opening set was closely contested, with both players holding serve through the early stages. At 4-4, Mboko shifted gears, unleashing her powerful forehand and greater consistency from the baseline to break Jones and close out the set 6-4.
Momentum firmly with her, Mboko domin...