Exciting Canadiens Prospect Is Prime Breakout Candidate
Jamaica, Lebanon, Greece and Puerto Rico can't compete in world championships since they don't have proper ice hockey infrastructure. But they are eager to grow the sport in their respective regions and are using the Challenger Series tournament to do so.
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Hamilton Spectator
a few seconds ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Canada's Victoria Mboko tops Aussie Kimberly Birrell in National Bank Open debut
MONTREAL - Toronto's Victoria Mboko made good on her first impression in front of the Montreal faithful Sunday in opening-round action at the National Bank Open tennis tournament. Mboko, making her main draw debut on home soil, powered her way past Australia's Kimberly Birrell 7-5, 6-3, on a scorching afternoon on IGA Stadium's Centre Court. Mboko utilized her big and powerful service game, hammering 15 aces, which regularly exceeded 180 km/h. She also mixed in some solid forehand winners to energize the crowd all throughout her 90-plus minutes spent on court. Mboko got off to a strong start, breaking Birrell on the Aussie's opening service game to go up 2-0. However, Birrell immediately broke back the following game. Both players held serve until the set's 12th and final game, with Mboko breaking the serve of her opponent to take the opener 7-5. Mboko was gifted a break in the fourth game of the second set, with Birrell committing a costly double-fault to put the Canadian ahead 3-1. Mboko never looked back from there, holding serve three times to pull away with the straight-sets victory. The 18-year-old Mboko, currently ranked No. 88 in the world, was one of seven Canadians awarded a wild card into the WTA 1000 main draw. Although she was born in North Carolina, Mboko moved to Toronto as a young child with her family and represents Canada on tour. Mboko has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the WTA rankings in 2025, having started the season as the 350th-ranked player in the world. Mboko improved to 46-8 this season across all competitions thanks to Sunday's victory, which also included a stretch of 22 consecutive match wins – all in straight sets - at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Challenger tour level. Mboko also impressed at the Grand Slam level, qualifying for both the French Open and Wimbledon this season, where she reached the third and second round, respectively. Mboko's first-round win sets up a meeting with American Sofia Kenin in the second round. The 23rd-seeded Kenin earned an automatic bye into the second round by virtue of her ranking. Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., opened Centre Court action earlier in the day, falling to Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 in her first-round match. 'I think I came out pretty strong and played well in the first set,' the 20-year-old Stakusic said. 'She just kept hanging in there. She didn't give me many free points and she served really well. She was pretty level-headed the whole match.' The 142nd-ranked Stakusic, in her fourth appearance at the NBO, was making her main draw debut in Montreal after bowing out in the second round of last year's tournament held in Toronto. 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova also advanced to the second round for the second straight time in Montreal, dispatching 20-year-old Philippine phenom Alexandra Eala 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in a spirited three-set battle. The night session will feature a pair of Canadian veterans on Centre Court. Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., will match up against two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova. The 25-year-old Canadian, who won the NBO in Toronto in 2019, is coming off a strong showing at the Hopman Cup last week in Italy, as she teamed up with Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime to capture the exhibition team tournament. Vancouver's Rebecca Marino will take on French qualifier Elsa Jacquemot. The 34-year-old Marino has struggled this season, winning just one WTA Tour-level match all year. Sunday marks the start of a revamped 12-day, 96-player format. Action continues daily at IGA Stadium through to the final on Aug. 7. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mitchell's 35 points lift Fever over Sky 93-78; Clark and Reese sit out
CHICAGO (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell hit seven 3-pointers and scored 35 points and the Indiana Fever defeated the Chicago Sky 93-78 in a marquee matchup on Sunday that was missing stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Clark missed her fourth-straight game for Indiana with a groin injury and has only played in half of the team's games and Reese was out for her second straight for the Sky with a back issue. Aliyah Boston had 14 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Fever (14-12), who have three double-figure wins over Chicago this season. Makayla Timpson had 14 points off the bench and Aari McDonald added 10. Mitchell had her 100th career 20-point game, second in franchise history behind Tamika Catchings, and her ninth 30-point game. She also picked up her 200th career steal and the Fever turned 23 turnovers into 31 points. Rachel Banham had six 3s and 26 points for the Sky (7-18). Kia Nurse added 14 points, Rebecca Allen 13 and Kamilla Cardoso 12 with 12 rebounds. The Fever had a 16 point lead early in the fourth quarter cut to six with less than five minutes to go but Mitchell responded with a 3-pointer and a couple of free throws to end the threat. Indiana closed out the first quarter on an 18-2 run to lead 26-13. Mitchell had 13 points and the Fever had 14 points off nine Chicago turnovers. The lead reached 16 points in the second quarter before the half ended at 51-39. Chicago got off to a quick start in the third quarter, pulling within 56-55 at the midway point on consecutive jumpers by Nurse. Mitchell responded with a 3 and a layup before consecutive baskets by Timpson pushed the lead to 65-55. Lexie Hull's buzzer beater made it 75-61 entering the fourth quarter. ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Twins All-Star Byron Buxton is day-to-day with rib cartilage irritation
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins announced on Sunday that All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton is day-to-day with cartilage irritation in his rib cage. Buxton was pulled from Saturday's game against Washington after he experienced discomfort in his side while running. An MRI performed on Sunday confirmed the irritated cartilage. 'It's a good outcome,' Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. 'We'll see how he is tomorrow and so on, but to be day-to-day with what he left the game with, it's a good thing.' The 31-year-old Buxton is hitting .282 with 23 home runs and an OPS of .905. ___ AP MLB: The Associated Press
