Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Sport
Anna Harrington

Young gun ready for 'super cool' Sabalenka clash

Canadian teen Victoria Mboko is undaunted by the challenge of taking on world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. (Rob Prezioso/AAP PHOTOS)

Victoria Mboko is 19, embracing every new experience of her whirlwind rise and ready to show world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka what she's got.

The Canadian teen sensation is into the fourth round of the Australian Open on her Melbourne Park senior debut, where she has the daunting task of tackling two-time champion Sabalenka.

But where others would be nervous, the unflappable Mboko can't wait.

"It's super cool. I've never played a current No.1 in the world. That's going to be a very different experience," Mboko said after her 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 6-3 win over Clara Tauson.

"I assume we'd be playing on Rod Laver, as well. I've never played on a grand slam centre court either. A lot of firsts.

"I'm just really excited. It's something not many people get to experience. To be doing that on Sunday is, I think, really cool - just to show what I got."

The young gun is also playing doubles with fellow teen sensation Iva Jovic.

Mboko, who won the Canadian Open last year then made the final of the Adelaide International - losing to fellow teenager Mirra Andreeva - is just relishing the ride.

"It's my first-ever fourth round in a grand slam. It's my first time playing the Australian Open. This is a really cool experience," she said.

Two-time Melbourne Park champion Sabalenka is well aware of what the Canadian sensation can do.

"She's a great player. She's a fighter. She's playing really good, aggressive tennis," the Belarusian star said.

"She's playing really great tennis. Really heavy shots ... I know it's going to be a great battle. I'm super-excited to face her for the first time."

Sabalenka, now 27, believes the current teenage guns are far more mature than she was at their age.

Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka says today's youngsters are much more advanced than she ever was. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

"Maybe for me, like, it would be really tough to handle the success at a young age," Sabalenka said.

"But I feel like now seeing these girls, so like young age achieving so much, playing such a great tennis, being really mature, it's incredible. I feel like they mature much faster than, for example, on my example, than I did.

"It's incredible to see how actually, like, smart they are and the approach is really, really good. They have a great team around them. It's cool to see."

But Sabalenka was happy to pile pressure on an opponent who, on paper, has nothing to lose.

"That's the challenge. They go out there and they have nothing to lose. But also, at the same time, I don't believe that mentality that they have nothing to lose - because I've been in their shoes," she said.

"You still go out there with hopes that you're going to win this one, you're going to be the young one to win the slam. They still have something to lose."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.