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Paul McNamara

Maya Joint booked a Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open semi-final showdown with Cristina Bucsa after a mid-match “mental reset” helped her overcome surprise package Himeno Sakatsume in three sets on Friday.
Victoria Mboko then joined her in the last four after her opponent, Anna Kalinskaya, withdrew because of illness when trailing 6-1, 3-1. She will play fellow Canadian Leylah Fernandez, who overcame Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-4 in the day’s final match.
Russian Kalinskaya’s movement was inhibited throughout and she had her blood pressure checked shortly before calling off the match after 48 minutes on court.
It followed the earlier withdrawal of No 1 seed Belinda Bencic from the first quarter-final, against Bucsa, because of a thigh injury, handing the Spaniard a walkover.
Joint’s match at least gave fans some value for money on a day when one match failed to finish and another did not start.

The Australian teenager won four straight games to claim the opening set 6-4, but Japanese qualifier Sakatsume exploited her opponent’s uncharacteristic sloppiness to win the second 6-2.
“I was frustrated with my unforced errors, especially on my backhand,” Joint, the No 5 seed, said. “It’s usually my strength, but I felt it was letting me down. I was getting a bit anxious and thinking I’d lost my backhand. I just needed to mentally reset and tell myself it’s not true.”
Summoning memories of big-match successes this year, particularly in winning titles in Eastbourne and Morocco, Joint broke decisively in the fifth game of the decider and closed it out 6-4.
“I’ve played a lot of tight matches this year and won some, so I take experience and confidence from those and stay composed in tough moments,” said Joint, 19, who revealed she was working with a mental coach “on tactics and techniques to stay calm in really tight moments”.

Bencic, who won the Japan Open last week, said she was “so disappointed”, but added that she would “certainly love to come back to play in Hong Kong next year”.
Joint was adamant that the rested Bucsa, who last played on Wednesday, would not have any advantage on Saturday.
“I’d rather play matches, and gain confidence from being on court and in the zone,” she said.
Mboko’s victory was her fifth in six matches, after she lost four in a row following her shock triumph at August’s Canadian Open.
“I had a rough patch … but I’m experiencing things for the first time this year, it’s part of the process,” she said.
The No 3 seed, 19, said next opponent Fernandez, seeded second, was “someone I look up to; she’s an incredible player and person, and a role model for so many girls in Canada”.
Fernandez, the 2023 champion, has yet to drop a set this week. After beating the obdurate Cirstea, she looked forward to an “amazing match”.
“She’s been playing super-well this whole year,” Fernandez said. “I’m happy to be in the semi-finals and to be playing a compatriot.”


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Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open

Hong Kong Tennis Open: Canadians Fernandez, Mboko to meet in semis, Joint awaits Bucsa

Canada’s Leylah Fernandez beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in straight sets at Victoria Park on Friday. Photo: Elson Li

Maya Joint fires off a forehand during her quarter-final win over Himeno Sakatsume. Photo: Elson Li

Victoria Mboko was ahead by a set and 3-1 when opponent Anna Kalinskaya withdrew. Photo: Elson Li

Australian tennis ace Ajla Tomljanovic speaks out on ‘disgusting and scary’ online abuse

Ajla Tomljanovic crunches a backhand in her Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open first-round victory over Momoko Kobori on Monday. Photo: Eugene Lee

Tomljanovic said she was routinely subjected to ‘disgusting and scary’ online abuse. Photo: Eugene Lee

Tomljanovic with her trophy after winning last year’s WTA 125 event in Hong Kong. Photo: Clicks Images

National Games: slow start for Hong Kong beach volleyball, on and off the court

Hong Kong’s Yuen Ting-chi (left) and Au-yeung Wai-yan dive to save a shot in their match against Jiangsu at Victoria Park on Friday. Photo: Elson Li

To Wing-man (right) of Hong Kong’s top pair executes a spike in the 2-0 loss to Chongqing. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong’s Yuen Ting-chi (left) and Au-Yeung Wai-yan celebrate a point against Jiangsu. Photo: Elson Li

Sport

Tennis

Spain’s Bucsa through after top seed Belinda Bencic pulls out with injury, while Mboko also progresses following a withdrawal


Spain’s Bucsa through after top seed Belinda Bencic pulls out with injury, while Mboko also progresses following a withdrawal.


WTA (Women's Tennis Association)

Belinda Bencic

Hong Kong Tennis Open: Canadians Fernandez, Mboko to meet in semis, Joint awaits Bucsa

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Spain’s Bucsa through after top seed Belinda Bencic pulls out with injury, while Mboko also progresses following a withdrawal

Spain’s Bucsa through after top seed Belinda Bencic pulls out with injury, while Mboko also progresses following a withdrawal