Victoria Mboko advanced to the third round of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open with a straight-sets victory over Vera Zvonareva. She will face Mirra Andreeva in a rematch of their recent Adelaide final. Andreeva also progressed by defeating Magda Linette.
Mboko Advances Past Zvonareva in Doha
Victoria Mboko secured a 6-4, 6-4 win over Vera Zvonareva in the second round of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open on February 10, 2026. The 19-year-old Canadian, who is 22 years younger than her opponent, used her power to dictate play on Doha's slower courts. Mboko notched six aces and converted breaks effectively, including the match-clinching one in the second set after both players exchanged early breaks.
"I just wanted to treat it like every other match," Mboko said afterward. "I didn't want to put age into perspective when playing her because I did not feel like I was playing a 41-year-old. I think it was really great tennis from her, and her ranking does not reflect the way she plays at all."
Zvonareva, a veteran returning to form with her first main-draw win in over two years, put up strong resistance, with six games going to deuce in the first set alone. Mboko praised her opponent's resilience: "She's playing really great tennis so I think she really pushed me to hit some really great shots, but I'm glad to have pulled it through."
Meanwhile, Mirra Andreeva earned her spot in the third round with a 7-6(0), 6-1 victory over Magda Linette. The Russian teenager, currently ranked No. 7, will now meet Mboko on Wednesday in a rematch of the Adelaide International final from late January 2026. In that match, Andreeva claimed her first WTA 500 title by winning 7-6(0), 6-1, breaking Mboko five times and dominating serve points.
Mboko, who took a medical timeout during the Adelaide final, downplayed the prior result. "Honestly, it doesn't really matter that much for me, because whether how long ago I played them, it's a different court," she said. "We're in a different country. Everyone's feeling different on each day, so I just like to go into it as if it's a new match."
Both players entered Doha after reaching the Australian Open round of 16, where Mboko lost to Aryna Sabalenka and Andreeva fell to Elina Svitolina. This marks Mboko's debut in the tournament and elevates their clash to a top-15 matchup, with the Canadian now at No. 13 in the PIF WTA Rankings.