Canada’s Victoria Mboko one win clear of primary draw of Italian Open

ROME — Canada’s Victoria Mboko complex to the second one spherical of qualifying on the Italian Open WTA 1000 tennis event with a 6-3, 6-2 win over 17th-seed Cristina Bucsa of Spain on Monday.

The 18-year-old from Toronto fired seven aces at the clay courts in Rome and broke Bucsa 5 occasions on 10 possibilities to wrap up the win in a single hour 14 mins.

Mboko will subsequent face 9th seed Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia for the danger to advance to her 2d profession 1000-level primary draw. She complex to the second one spherical of the Miami Open in March.

Mboko, the arena No. 158, has a 31-3 document this season, in large part taking part in at the lower-tier ITF World Tour, the place she has received 5 titles.

In different qualifying motion Monday, Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., fell 6-4, 6-4 to 10th-seed Emiliana Arango of Colombia.

Both gamers struggled to carry serve, with Arango changing 9 damage issues to Stakusic’s seven.