Mboko avenged her loss and reached the Tokyo semifinals, while Rybakina secured her spot in the fierce Xiaomi Chili final showdown.

Can the desire to win truly empower someone to achieve anything? Rybakina has already provided the answer at the Tokyo 500 event.

After beating Fernandez in her first match, she is just one victory away from securing the last spot at the year-end finals. Though this step looks small, many thought before the tournament that it wouldn’t be so easy for Rybakina to pass through effortlessly.

Although Mboko’s performance has been mediocre since winning the Montreal 1000, her form suddenly bounced back in Tokyo, leading many to joke that fate might be deliberately testing Rybakina by having the Canadian dark horse block her path to the Riyadh year-end finals, providing some comfort to Andreyeva’s already anxious heart.

For Andreyeva’s supporters, the match between Rybakina and Mboko was even more nerve-wracking than if their idol had played herself, because if Mboko lost, it would mean Andreyeva would completely lose the competition for the year-end finals spot against Rybakina.

Mboko seemed capable of preserving Andreyeva’s last hope, but to many fans and netizens, driven by the powerful motivation to reach the year-end finals, Rybakina’s inner fire was already blazing fiercely. This overwhelming desire to win made even the exhausted Fernandez powerless against the Kazakh beauty. “The less experienced Canadian dark horse, even more so.”

Interestingly, at the start of the first set, Andreyeva’s supporters shouted encouragement to Mboko through the live stream, urging her to strike first against Rybakina and help Xiaomi Chili in this critical moment.

Mboko’s performance against Rybakina also revealed something else: whether she intended to help Andreyeva reach the year-end finals remains unknown, but she certainly wanted to prevent Rybakina’s revenge. Right from the start, she showed the same dominance as in Montreal, trying to disrupt Rybakina’s rhythm through aggressive play to find an opening.

Being so close to boarding the last train to the year-end finals, Rybakina clearly understood more than anyone the importance of staying calm and highly focused at this moment, refusing to fall into Mboko’s trap. She kept to her own pace and took the first set 6-3, putting all the pressure back on the Canadian dark horse.

What deserves praise for Mboko is that under such immense pressure, she didn’t play timidly; instead, she intensified her offensive power and maximized her stability, pushing the match to a thrilling climax starting from the second set.

It’s a pity for Mboko because she had set everything up well. Although she didn’t control the match, she didn’t fall behind under Rybakina’s fierce attacks nor let her break through her defense, showing maturity beyond her years. However, in the tiebreak, her lack of experience caused a mental lapse, which Rybakina seized to win decisively and celebrate victory.

After defeating Mboko in straight sets, Rybakina achieved double joy: avenging her recent semifinal loss in Montreal and securing the last ticket to the year-end finals, overtaking Andreyeva and relegating Xiaomi Chili to a substitute role, likely causing her great distress this time.

After the match, many comforted Andreyeva by pointing out that if Mboko had fought as hard in the first set as she did in the second, it might have been uncertain whether Rybakina could win in two sets.

However, some responded that Rybakina was determined to win this match. Even though her first serve success rate was only 61% in the first set, her points won on first serve were very high, showing the former Wimbledon champion knew how to cover her weaknesses and compensate in other areas, leaving Mboko no chance.

Of course, Rybakina’s victory in this crucial match may also be related to her rare patience throughout the entire game. After the match, some remarked that Rybakina seemed like a different person, proving that a strong desire to win can transform someone from the inside out. “Nana performed brilliantly in Tokyo this time.”

After smoothly advancing to the semifinals, Rybakina’s supporters no longer cared if she would win the Tokyo title because the goal of reaching the year-end finals was already achieved. The former Wimbledon champion could now play freely in the upcoming matches, as the year-end finals remain the ultimate priority!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonriver’s Starry Sky)