Mexican Open: Juan Martin del Potro beats Kevin Anderson to clinch ATP title; Lesia Tsurenko defends WTA trophy

Acapulco: Juan Martin Del Potro continued his dominance over Kevin Anderson, putting the brakes on the South African’s brilliant run of success to claim the ATP Mexican Open title on Saturday night. Del Potro defeated the hard-serving Anderson 6-4, 6-4 in the final to claim his first title of 2018 and post his seventh-straight career victory over Anderson. [caption id=“attachment_4375407” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Juan Martin del Potro poses with the trophy after beating Kevin Anderson. Image courtesy: Twitter @AbiertoTelcel[/caption] The 29-year-old Del Potro recorded his 21st career ATP title but this is one of his biggest in years and the earliest he has hoisted a trophy since the 2014 season. The Argentine won the title by battling through a tough draw that included a trio of top 10 players. He defeated Mischa Zverev, four-time Acapulco champion David Ferrer, No 6 Dominic Thiem and No 5 Alexander Zverev before dispatching world number eight Anderson. Del Potro has owned Anderson on the hardcourts ever since their first meeting in 2011 in Delray Beach, Florida that he also won 6-4, 6-4. Since then, they have squared off in Vienna, Valencia, Basel, Washington and Delray again with all the matches taking place on the hard surface. Del Potro served masterfully on Saturday, blasting 12 aces and winning 78 percent of his first serve and 64 percent of his second serve points in the one hour, 40 minute match. Del Potro managed to hold serve throughout the match and broke Anderson twice. Anderson, of Johannesburg, had his eight-match winning streak snapped and was coming off a title at the New York Open. Tsurenko fights back to defend title On the women’s side, Lesia Tsurenko successfully defended her WTA Mexican Open title by rallying from a first set loss to beat Stefanie Voegele 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2. Tsurenko, of the Ukraine, earned her 10th straight victory this week and claimed her fourth career WTA Tour title by outlasting 27-year-old Voegele in the two hour, 45 minute match. [caption id=“attachment_4375401” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Lesia Tsurenko poses with the trophy after winning the Mexican Open WTA final. AFP [/caption] The seventh seeded Tsurenko hit two aces and won 64 percent of her first-serve points coughing up 10 double faults as she was broken six times. At one stage the Ukrainian was just three points away from defeat in the second set, but she hung on and has now won at least one title each year since claiming her first in 2015 at the Guangzhou, China tournament. “It’s such a special tournament for me,” Tsurenko said during the trophy ceremony wearing the traditional champion’s sombrero. “It was amazing.” “Stefanie, it was an unbelievable match,” Tsurenko said. “It was almost three hours. We both were nervy and we were still fighting to the end. Thanks for this match and for this experience.” The unseeded Voegele, who was playing in her first final, blasted four aces and had her serve broken seven times. In the men’s doubles final, Britain’s Jamie Murray and Brazil’s Bruno Soares successfully defending their title, beating American twins Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6 (4), 7-5. Germany’s Tatjana Maria and Britain’s Heather Watson won the women’s doubles in their first tournament together, topping Americans Kaitlyn Christian and Sabrina Santamaria 7-5, 2-6, 10-2. With inputs from agencies