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Andreeva comes back from early deficit to beat Mboko in the Adelaide International final

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Andreeva comes back from early deficit to beat  Mboko in the Adelaide International final
Sport

Sport

Andreeva comes back from early deficit to beat Mboko in the Adelaide International final

2026-01-17 13:30 Last Updated At:14:50

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Third-seeded Mirra Andreeva trailed 3-0 but came back to win nine games in a row and 12 of the last 13 to beat Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-1 in the Adelaide International final on Saturday.

The match featured the only players aged under 20 inside the top 20 on the WTA Tour. Andreeva is 18 and Mboko 19.

The Canadian took a 3-0 lead in the first set before Andreeva evened the match, winning 13 consecutive points and dominating the rest of the set and match.

Trailing 3-0 in the second set, Mboko took a medical timeout when her blood pressure and pulse was taken. She returned to win her first game of the second set but Andreeva closed out the match three games later.

It was Andreeva's fourth WTA title.

“I’ve been practicing a lot,” Andreeva said. I’ve been working, sweating . . . "

Mboko has rapidly established herself near the top of the rankings and has two career titles: the WTA 1000 Canadian Open at Montreal last year and the WTA 250 Hong Kong Open.

She will rise to a career-high No. 16 ahead of her Australian Open debut on Monday, where she’ll face another teen in Australia’s Emerson Jones.

“Sorry I couldn’t be 100%, but I want to give a huge congrats to Mirra for playing incredible tennis today and her team, of course, too," Mboko said.

Andreeva will also open her Australian Open campaign on Monday, facing Donna Vekic. Andreeva has reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park the past two years.

In the later men’s final at Adelaide, Tomas Machac was to play Ugo Humbert.

Victoria Mboko,right, and Cleeve Harper of Canada compete against Elise Mertens and Zizou Bergs of Belgium in their doubles match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Victoria Mboko,right, and Cleeve Harper of Canada compete against Elise Mertens and Zizou Bergs of Belgium in their doubles match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rookie Beckett Sennecke had two assists and then scored in the shootout, sending the Anaheim Ducks to a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.

Mason McTavish ended it with a third-round shootout goal for the Ducks, who rallied from an early two-goal deficit for their second straight victory after a nine-game skid.

Tim Washe scored his first NHL goal and Ryan Strome got his first goal in a month for the Ducks when Southern California’s two NHL teams opened a back-to-back, home-and-home chapter of the Freeway Faceoff rivalry by going to their second shootout of the season. Lukas Dostal made 26 saves.

Joel Armia had a goal and an assist in his return from a five-game injury absence for the Kings, who have lost five of six.

Darcy Kuemper stopped 26 shots, but the Canadian Olympian couldn't stop the famously deliberate shootout style of McTavish, one of the NHL's most successful shootout scorers.

Quinton Byfield put the Kings ahead on their first shot on goal 98 seconds after the opening faceoff, beating Dostal for his ninth goal off a rush set up by Armia.

Neither team mounted a consistent offensive attack for two periods, but Armia made it 2-0 for the Kings midway through the second with a one-timer off a backhand pass from Andre Lee.

Strome answered 39 seconds later, putting a shot past a screen from Sennecke for his second goal in 22 games.

Less than three minutes after that, Washe alertly located a rebound off the boards and beat Kuemper from a sharp angle for his inaugural goal in his sixth NHL game. The 24-year-old undrafted forward won an NCAA title last spring with Western Michigan.

The Ducks played without their top two scorers due to injury. Leo Carlsson had treatment earlier in the day on a thigh injury that could endanger his participation in the Olympics, while Troy Terry (upper body) went on injured reserve before missing his fourth straight game.

A rematch in Anaheim on Saturday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott, top, knocks Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger to the ice during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings left wing Jeff Malott, top, knocks Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger to the ice during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings center Alex Turcotte, right, watches the puck fly away during a face off with Anaheim Ducks left wing Alex Killorn, left, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Kings center Alex Turcotte, right, watches the puck fly away during a face off with Anaheim Ducks left wing Alex Killorn, left, during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Anaheim Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke, left, passes the puck while under pressure from Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Anaheim Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke, left, passes the puck while under pressure from Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Anaheim Ducks center Jansen Harkins, left, is shoved to the ice by Los Angeles Kings center Alex Turcotte during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Anaheim Ducks center Jansen Harkins, left, is shoved to the ice by Los Angeles Kings center Alex Turcotte during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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