Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Acapulco
Men’s Final: [6] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. [40] Sam Querrey (USA)
Querrey defied the odds all week. He had never won a set much less beaten David Goffin in two previous attempts; yet, he crushed him easily in two sets in the second round. Dominic Thiem easily dismissed him last year in their only encounter, but it was Querrey’s turn to taste victory against the Austrian. Nick Kyrgios defeated him last year in their only encounter; however, it was Querrey who got the victory last night. Would he continue to defy the odds tonight against Nadal and deny the Spaniard his 70th career title and get his first victory over Nadal in 5 attempts? He has always had the weapons and always had the potential to be a threat to the top players. He proved that last year at Wimbledon when he defeated Novak Djokovic. Tonight he maintained his focus, served big, crushed the balls for winners repeatedly, and broke Nadal’s will to win 6-3, 7-6(3).
Women’s Final: [30] Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) vs. [50] Lesia Tsurenko (UKR)
Tsurenko led their head-to-head 3:1, but the most important statistic was that Mladenovic won their last encounter and that recent victory could inspire her tonight. Would it be enough or would Tsurenko recall that she once dominated their rivalry? Tsurenko was seeking her third singles title while Mladenovic was hoping to claim the second of her career and of the season. Nerves, which are always present to some degree in every match, are more pronounced when a title is at stake and tonight was no exception. Perhaps fatigue was also an added factor for Mladenovic, which made the first set very easy for Tsurenko; yet, the fighter in Mladenovic would not give up easily. They wrestled for control in the second set, trading breaks back and forth until Tsurenko got the final break to win the match 6-1, 7-5.
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