The 19-year-old number three seed forced the first break of the match in the sixth game to lead 4-2, only for Bucsa to pull it back three games later. Spaniard Busca was broken again in the 12th game though and lost the set 7-5, but the world number 68 saved a match point in a second-point set tiebreaker on the way to taking it 11-9.

Mboko tamed Bucsa’s serve in the opening game of the deciding set though and broke her opponent once more in the seventh game before serving out a 7-5, 6-7(9), 6-2 victory after two hours and 51 minutes.

–Reuters–