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By the numbers: Mboko solves Gibson’s early serving brilliance to win in Hong Kong

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On a Tuesday afternoon in Hong Kong already marked by one major upset, Victoria Mboko

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made sure there wouldn’t be another.

To do so, the No. 3 seed had to overcome the surprisingly potent serve of Australia’s Talia Gibson

who won the first set in a tiebreak. But Mboko solved the puzzle, rallying for a 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4 victory in 1 hour and 48 minutes to reach the second round of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.

“Talia was playing really amazing tennis, and I found it really hard to keep up with her,” Mboko said after the match. “But throughout the match, I started to find more rhythm. I just wanted to stay in there and use as many chances as I could. So, I’m glad I got the win today and I want to thank everyone who came to support.”

Though she dropped the opener, Mboko didn’t start slow. Instead, it was Gibson, ranked No. 134 in the world, who delivered an equally improbable and impressive effort early on, holding to love in each of her first five service games and dominating the tiebreak to take the lead.

Momentum shifted sharply in the second set, as Mboko finally began to make some headway on her opponent’s serve. After Gibson held for the seventh straight time to start the match, Mboko broke her three times in a row to close out the set. All the while, she fired ace after ace, finishing with 14 by the end of the set.

In the decider, both players traded holds until 3-all. It was then that Gibson earned her first break point since the opening game of the match, but Mboko saved it and held serve. Then, in an ironic twist of fate, Gibson’s serve, which was so dominant early, betrayed her. Serving to stay in the match, she was broken, her final shot landing in the net as she was forced to settle for a job well done, albeit a job not quite finished.

The result marks Mboko’s third win in four matches following a four-match skid. It also sends the 19-year-old to the second round of a WTA 250 tournament for the first time in her career.

Here are the numbers detailing how Mboko managed to finish the job in the end:

1: It’s Mboko’s first WTA 250 win, coming in the WTA 1000 champion’s second match at the level and first since 2022. It was also the first career meeting between her and Gibson, who was playing her first WTA main draw match since the US Open.

2: Break points faced by Mboko. She saved both and converted four of five on Gibson’s serve on her way to victory.

19: Aces by Mboko, including 11 in the opening set.

 

20: Consecutive points won on serve by Gibson to start the match. She dropped just three points on serve en route to claiming the first set.

 

25: Length of the rain delay in minutes that occurred midway through the first set. For reference, Mboko needed just 22 minutes to win the second set.

 

Next up, Mboko will face a fellow newcomer on the rise, Alexandra Eala

, for the first time at pro level. The 20-year-old Filipina advanced after 2024 finalist Katie Boulter

was forced to retire trailing 6-4, 2-1 due to a left leg injury. The pair have met in the juniors before — Eala won their 2022 US Open girls’ semifinal 6-1, 7-6(5) en route to the title.

 

“It’s the last tournament of the season, so I want to push as far as I can and have as much fun as I can this week,” Mboko said. “It’s a very nice tournament, so I’m glad I get to spend the last week here.”

 

In other Hong Kong news, Himeno Sakatsume

dropped just three games in a 6-2, 6-1 win over No. 4 seed Sofia Kenin

, earning her first career victory against a top 100 opponent in 1 hour and 12 minutes. She’ll face home favorite Eudice Chong in the second round. No. 629-ranked Chong upset Suzan Lamens

6-3, 6-4 to become the first Hongkonger to win a WTA main-draw match since Guangzhou 2014, when Zhang Ling made the second round.

 

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Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.

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With the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.

Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?

Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.

“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.

Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..

 

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Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

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Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.

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It’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.

These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.

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Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

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It looks like LIV Golf is over.

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The Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.

That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.

So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.

But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?

Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.

Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.

 

That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.

 

If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.

But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.

Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.

For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.

Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time

With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.

He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.

DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.

He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.

He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.

He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.

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