Victoria Mboko’s Australian Open debut is proceeding exactly as planned.
The Canadian 17th seed accounted for American Caty McNally on Wednesday with a 6-4 6-3 win at 1573 Arena to earn a third-round berth at AO 2026.
MORE: All the scores from Day 4 at AO 2026
“I really had to fight hard today,” said the 19-year-old after closing out the match by winning six straight games from a 0-3 second-set deficit.
“She was playing really great tennis, so I just tried to put it in my head to take it point by point and not focus too much on the score.
MORE: AO 2026 women's singles draw
“There [were] a lot of Canadians in the crowd, too, that really gave me a lot of motivation and a lot of support so I was really thankful for that today, I think they really helped me push through the match.”
Mboko has been competing in Melbourne with a heavily-wrapped right leg, and explained that it’s a preventative measure to keep her knee stable after she hyperextended it last week at the Adelaide International, where she reached the final.
When third-round matches kick off on Friday, the talented right-hander will step onto court for a first-time meeting with Clara Tauson, the 14th seed who overcame Polina Kudermetova 6-3 3-6 7-5.
“I know she's very aggressive,” Mboko said of the 23-year-old Dane.
“She's a hard hitter, and I'm really looking forward to it, I think it's going to be a lot of fun.”
Joining Mboko and Tauson in the third round is Ukrainian 12th seed Elina Svitolina, who struck 28 winners in her 7-5 6-1 triumph over Polish qualifier Linda Klimovicova at John Cain Arena.
“[It’s] never easy to play somebody you don’t know and who is new on tour,” said the three-time AO quarterfinalist. “Linda played really, really well, she was striking the ball really big in the first set.”
Svitolina set up a third-round clash against Diana Shnaider, the 23rd seed who saved three match points serving at 4-5 in the second set against Australian wildcard Talia Gibson before triumphing 3-6 7-5 6-1 over the world No.119.
“She played amazing and honestly it was very hard to believe I can pull this [off] and win this match. On match point I’m just like, it’s okay, I need to go for it because if I’m not going for it, she’s going for it,” said the 21-year-old.
“I’m super happy that I was able to do that. Means a lot to win matches like that for the confidence to the next round.”
While Shnaider and Svitolina have never met, the left-hander is preparing to go the distance against the former world No.3.
“Definitely no easy matches here, I feel like I’m definitely checking my ability to play three sets,” said Shnaider, who battled past two-time major champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round after also dropping the opening set.
“It’s going to be a very tough match … I’m excited for the new challenge.”
Austria’s Anastasia Potapova, competing with a fractured finger, also advanced to the round of 32 by ending British 28th seed Emma Raducanu’s AO 2026 journey with a 7-6(3) 6-2 win at ANZ Arena.
Later on Wednesday, seventh seed Jasmine Paolini eventually made it through to the third round in a match that was delayed twice by rain and necessitated a court change to the roofed John Cain Arena from Kia Arena, the Italian ousting Poland's Magdalena Frech 6-2 6-3 just before midnight in Melbourne.
Karolina Muchova, the 19th seed, battled back after losing the first set and waiting out a rain delay deep into the final set to outlast American Alycia Parks 4-6 6-4 6-4 at 1573 Arena.