Mboko stuns top seed Gauff to reach Canadian Open quarters
Mboko dropped her racket and covered her face in disbelief as the packed crowd leapt to their feet after the 18-year-old tournament wild card sealed the victory in just over an hour.
'Thank you, you helped me so much,' she told the home crowd in French during an on-court interview.
She called her first-ever appearance in the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event 'incredible,' especially after toppling reigning French Open champion Gauff.
Mboko was helped along the way by her error-prone opponent, who never found her rhythm on serve and failed to convert any of her five break point opportunities.
Gauff's sixth double fault set up match point, which Mboko converted when the American's backhand slice drifted into the net.
Despite her disappointment, Gauff hugged Mboko at the net and will look to regroup as she prepares to make a run at a second US Open crown next month.
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