NBO director hopes for ‘better solution' in future after Felix match not televised
Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada reacts during his loss to Fabian Marozsan of Hungary at the National Bank Open in Toronto on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn FNG flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: pubinfo.section: cms.site.custom.site_domain : thestar.com sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false firstAuthor.avatar :
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Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Canadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko advances to NBO semifinals in Montreal
Two days after ousting top seed Coco Gauff in 62 minutes, there was no letdown for Victoria Mboko — even if she needed to dig a little deeper to keep her dream run alive. The Canadian teenage sensation booked her place in the National Bank Open semifinals with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Monday night. The first set, despite her win, was messy and filled with errors for both players. The second got off to what Mboko called a 'slow, rocky start,' with the 18-year-old from Toronto down 2-0 and a break early. View image in full screen The crowd cheers for Victoria Mboko of Canada during her game against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain during quarterfinal tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi Then the momentum shifted. The rising star who rarely seems to lose finished strong, winning six straight games to close out the match. Story continues below advertisement 'I was a fighter in that situation,' Mboko said. 'That moment was just pure fight-or-flight instincts. 'I really wanted to do the best I could to break her back, and I did everything in my power to stay in there and match her, match what she was producing.' Mission accomplished. She broke back in the fourth, sixth and eighth games while holding serve throughout. Bouzas Maneiro's backhand sailed long on match point, and Mboko dropped her arms and smiled in disbelief after 77 minutes on centre court at IGA Stadium. Then she ran to her handshake and blew kisses to the crowd while it celebrated with a standing ovation. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'So excited to be in a semifinal here, I want to thank everyone for your support once again,' Mboko, who trained in Montreal as a junior, told the crowd. 'It's been an unreal experience and I couldn't be more grateful.' Mboko is the first Canadian to reach the WTA 1000 event's semifinals since Bianca Andreescu's title run in 2019 — and the first to do so in Montreal in the Open Era. She's also the youngest woman to reach the semis since Belinda Bencic's 2015 win in Toronto. And there's more: Monica Seles (1995) and Simona Halep (2015) are the only other women to make the final four after entering the tournament as a wild card. Story continues below advertisement It's been a breakthrough year for Mboko, who has surged from outside the top 300 to No. 85 in the world rankings. That number is projected to climb to at least No. 48 after she boosted her record to 25-8 against higher-ranked players and 51-9 in all competitions. Mboko hit three aces and won 58.2 per cent of the points while converting five of nine breakpoint chances and saving three of five. The hometown favourite also won 16 of 20 points on the 51st-ranked Bouzas Maneiro's second serve. Beyond the second set turnaround, she also showed resolve in the first. At 2-2, Mboko fell in a 15-40 hole, but ultimately took the prolonged game thanks to five service winners, regularly opening points with 180-kilometre-per-hour strikes. 'I don't want to say there's really a secret,' Mboko said of pulling through when her back is against the wall. 'Being calm in such stressful situations is key to delivering what you want to do in those tight moments. 'The human reaction is always to tense up and act out, but I think if I project calmness and relaxness, I'm going to also have the same thing in my head … that's what's been helping me get through those tough and tight situations.' As the last Canadian remaining in singles, Mboko has made a name for herself at home, putting her powerful ball-striking on display in her first National Bank Open main draw. Story continues below advertisement She will meet Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in Wednesday's semifinals. The ninth-seeded Rybakina — who knocked Mboko out in the round-of-16 at the D.C. Open in July — advanced after Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk was forced to retire with a wrist injury while trailing 6-1, 2-1 earlier Monday night. The tournament, which runs through Thursday's final, is wide open after the top-five seeds failed to reach the quarterfinals. After two injury-plagued years, Mboko — who had shown promise as a junior — opened the season with a 22-match winning streak and captured five titles on the lower-tier ITF Tour. She then qualified for her first Grand Slam main draw at the French Open, reaching the third round, before stunning 25th seed Magdalena Frech in the first round at Wimbledon. And the upsets keep coming. In Montreal, Mboko has dropped just one set, rattling off wins over 79th-ranked Kimberly Birrell, 23rd seed Sofia Kenin, 39th-ranked Marie Bouzkova and Gauff, the world No. 2. 'I was really happy to have won that day, but at the end of the day, I'm still in the tournament,' Mboko said of her milestone win over Gauff. 'It's not like I went to celebrate or anything. I was still locked in like I normally am in a tournament. You play a tournament because you want to win it.' Story continues below advertisement This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2025.
National Post
4 hours ago
- National Post
What will happen if Canada Post workers reject 'final offers'?
Labour experts say another postal service strike is unlikely after unionized Canada Post workers rejected their employer's latest round of offers in a forced vote and the parties mull their next steps. Article content The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said Friday that the roughly 55,000 members represented by the union shot down the Canada Post's latest proposal, which would've seen wage hikes of about 13 per cent over four years and restructuring to add part-time workers to the deal. Article content Article content Article content Some 68.5 per cent of urban mail carriers who voted were against the deal, while their rural and suburban colleagues were 69.4 per cent against. Article content Article content Adam King, assistant professor in the labour studies program at the University of Manitoba, said the forced ratification vote ordered by the federal government and administered by the Canada Industrial Relations Board was a 'distraction.' Article content 'Hopefully, at the end of the day, we see an agreement reached at the table — where it should have been in the beginning,' he said in an interview. Article content 'Canada Post management is really going to have to put something on the table that the union actually thinks members will accept.' Article content Negotiations for a new collective agreement have been ongoing for more than a year and a half. The federal government asked CIRB to step in and scuttle a holiday season postal strike late last year, but the parties remain at an impasse. Article content Article content The Crown corporation requested Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu send its most recent proposals from late May — calling them the 'final offers' — to a forced vote from workers. Article content Article content Canada Post said in a statement Friday that it was 'disappointed' in the vote results and that it was weighing its next steps. Article content CUPW said in a bulletin to members last week that its negotiators are ready to head back to the bargaining table. Article content King acknowledged that while the vote didn't go in Canada Post's favour, it wasn't a 'resounding' rejection, with more than 30 per cent of voters coming out in favour of the deals as presented. Article content Larry Savage, professor in the department of labour studies at Brock University, said that apparent division in the ranks of CUPW would make it difficult to get members on a picket line. Article content 'Even if you could effectively organize a strike, it's not obvious to me that it would produce the results the union's looking for,' Savage said in an interview.
Toronto Sun
5 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Postal workers' rejection of latest offer is bad news for small biz, Canada Post: CFIB
Offer rejected by postal workers' union included signing bonuses, four years of wage increases and six new personal days Canada Post mailboxes are seen in Ottawa on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. Photo by TONY CALDWELL / Postmedia Network OTTAWA — Postal workers' decision to reject Canada Post's latest offer is bad news for both small business and the postal service, the CFIB says. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account On Tuesday, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) president Dan Kelly called on the Mark Carney government to take action to avoid another mail strike, saying more is at stake than just a simple labour disruption. 'Government also needs to immediately give Canada Post the full authority to make the major reforms needed to ensure it is financially sustainable,' Kelly said, a move he understands will likely come with the need to make tough decisions, including more back-to-work orders. 'CFIB is calling on all political parties to support the reforms suggested in the Industrial Inquiry report to allow this important service to continue for the long term.' Read More This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Voting on Canada Post's latest contract proposal ended Aug. 1, with its 53,000 members voting to reject an offer that included signing bonuses, four years of wage increases and six new personal days. Last year's month-long Canada Post strike, held during the important Christmas holiday shopping season, was halted Dec. 17 after the government ordered the striking workers back to work. A strike was to have resumed in May, but the union conceded and banned its members from working overtime. Last month, the CFIB said two out of three Canadian small businesses — among the remaining big sources of business for the ailing postal service — would stop using Canada Post entirely if postal workers walk the picket lines again. Thirteen per cent of Canadian small business resolved to stop using Canada Post during the 2024 strike — which cost small businesses upwards of $100 million per day. Canada Post reported operating losses upwards of $1.3 billion in 2024, with revenues falling by $800 million compared to 2023. bpassifiume@ X: @bryanpassifiume Sunshine Girls Opinion Columnists Relationships Sunshine Girls
