Juan Martin Del Potro won the 21st title of his career and his biggest since 2013 when he rolled over Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel on Saturday night. Del Potro fired 12 aces and did not face a single break point while triumphing after one hour and 40 minutes.
Both players held serve easily in the early stages before the match’s one and only turning point came in the seventh game. Anderson led 40-15 while serving at 3-3 in the first set, but Del Potro stormed back to break for 4-3. The 29-year-old Argentine never looked back from there, holding twice more to clinch the opener before breaking again at 1-1 in the second–when Anderson suffered a fall and appeared to tweak his left knee.
Del Potro had no trouble consolidating it the rest of the way, dropping a mere five service points in the entire second set.
Highlights:
“It’s a very special tournament to me,” Del Potro commented. “I beat three top 10 guys in the same tournament, which is very important for myself. I’m so glad to win my 21st title playing in Acapulco.”
“I can take a lot of confidence going into Indian Wells and Miami–two tournaments I really enjoy playing,” Anderson assured. “I feel like I’m playing really good tennis. As always, I’ll pick myself up. I’ll try to learn as much as I can from tonight’s match.”
Del Potro and Anderson will now head to Indian Wells for the BNP Paribas Open–the first Masters 1000 event of the season. They will be among the favorites with Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and others sidelined by injuries. Roger Federer is the favorite, top seed, and defending champion.
Race to London going into Indian Wells:
congrats, Delpo