Canada’s Carson Branstine booked her place in a first-career Grand Slam main draw, while Victoria Mboko bowed out in gutting fashion Thursday in Wimbledon qualifying.
Branstine won 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-2 over Raluca Georgiana Serban of Cyprus in the final qualifying round at the grass-court tennis tournament.
The 24-year-old fired 48 winners to 20 for Serban, who also hit 10 double faults.
Branstine, a California native who represents Canada through family ties in Toronto, also eliminated Roland-Garros semifinalist Lois Boisson and Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., in the first two qualifying rounds.
Mboko, meanwhile, fell 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 to Australia’s Priscilla Hon after failing to capitalize on five match points in the second set.
The 18-year-old from Toronto hit 11 double faults and eight aces. She also converted only five of 17 breakpoint opportunities.
Mboko, who reached the French Open third round in May, will have to wait to compete in her second Grand Slam unless she’s drawn as the lucky loser.
Diallo loses in Mallorca quarterfinals
In Santa Ponsa, Spain, Felix Auger-Aliassime rallied for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic in Thursday’s quarterfinals at the Mallorca Championships.
The Montreal native fired 11 aces and broke Medjedovic three times on six chances.
Auger-Aliassime will face Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in Friday’s semifinal at the grass-court event.
Griekspoor beat Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 6-4 earlier Thursday.
Diallo had eight aces but couldn’t convert his lone break-point opportunity.
The six-foot-eight Diallo, who entered the tournament with a career-high No. 41 ranking, is due to make his main-draw debut at Wimbledon next week.
