After a brief stumble this fall, Canadian Victoria Mboko found her footing again in a big way, capturing the Hong Kong Open on Sunday for her second WTA title of the season.

The 19-year-old from Toronto beat Spain’s Cristina Bucsa 7-5, 6-7 (9), 6-2 in a gruelling final that stretched nearly three hours.

“It’s been an incredible week,” said Mboko after the match.

“Wow, what a match, I’m so tired right now. Cristina really pushed me to my limits.”

The victory is just the latest step in a remarkable rise for Mboko, who was ranked outside the world’s top 300 at the end of last year. Her win is projected to lift her to No. 18 in the WTA live rankings — a career high — following a breakthrough season that also included a title run at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.

Bucsa, ranked

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