"I know she can beat the best," says Tauziat, Mboko's coach, ahead of the showdown against Gauff in Montreal
Victoria Mboko is living a dream in Montreal, having qualified for the round of 16 in front of her home crowd after her stunning victory yesterday against Marie Bouzkova.
The 18-year-old player, coached by former French No. 1 Nathalie Tauziat, will face Coco Gauff in the night session as she aims to continue her incredible run.
In comments reported by the Canadian outlet RDS, Tauziat spoke about her player’s potential and preparation for this big match:
"Of course, there’s still work to do, but she’s capable of anything. I know she can beat the best. She has the game to compete with the top players. If she’s in good form, injury-free, working hard, and we maintain this routine, she can beat anyone.
She knows she has a tough match against Coco Gauff. We mustn’t forget she’s only 18, and playing in front of everyone, in front of her home crowd, isn’t as easy as it seems. She has to handle it the right way, and we’ve been honest with her. We told her that yesterday she didn’t step onto the court with the right mindset, and if she does the same against Coco Gauff, she’ll be going home."
Mboko will challenge the tournament’s No. 1 seed for the second time in her young career. The Canadian and the American previously faced off in the second round in Rome back in May, with the higher-ranked player winning in three sets (3-6, 6-2, 6-1).
