By Chris Oddo | Saturday March 2, 2019
Photo Source: Guillermo Sanchez
China’s Wang Yafan rallied from a set and break down to squeeze past American Sonya Kenin for her maiden WTA title at the Abierto Mexicano de Tenis in Acapulco on Saturday, 2-6 6-3 7-5.
The 24-year-old gradually worked her way into the match and played poised, patient tennis in the second and third set against an increasingly erratic Kenin.
It was a testament to the maturity of Wang, a steady baseliner and counterpuncher who was forced to weather a torrent of winners from the more aggressive Kenin, but managed to hold her ground and incrementally grind down the American.
Kenin lead by a break twice in the second set and built a 3-2 40-0 lead before dropping the final four games of the middle set.
The third set was close, with Kenin rallying from a break down and struggling to deal with stiffness in her right thigh. She took a medical timeout but continue to battle down the stretch valiantly.
But Wang, playing in her first WTA final, showed great poise as she broke for 6-5 and then routinely held to clinch the title.
It was a good Saturday for Chinese tennis in Acapulco—Zheng Saisai paired with Victoria Azarenka to claim the doubles title.