Alex De Minaur defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday to become the first player to win consecutive Mexican Open championships since 2012.
Alex De Minaur, the third seed, won his eighth ATP championship, becoming the fourth player to repeat as champion in Mexico and the first since David Ferrer in 2010-12.
The 25-year-old Australian won his 10th straight match in Acapulco, snapping a four-match losing streak in ATP finals, including one in Rotterdam earlier this year.
“Acapulco is becoming like a second home,” De Minaur explained. “I thought that it was impossible to get feel better after what happened last year, but I came back a year later to defend the title and it has been true pleasure.” Also read: American Casey Kania Banned 2 Years For Positive Marijuana Test
Ruud, the sixth seed, lost out on winning his 11th ATP title and first ATP 500 title. De Minaur gained an early break to lead 3-1 in the first set, but both players held their serve for a 6-4 win. In the second set, both players exchanged breaks for the first four games before De Minaur broke in the seventh to take the lead.
The Mexican Open was nearly cancelled when a Category 5 hurricane struck the city four months ago, killing 52 people. “We wanted to bring some joy to this wonderful city,” De Minaur said, “and I’m sure that Acapulco will shine stronger than ever.” Also read: Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev Advance To Dubai Semifinals