Watson fights back from heartbreak to claim title
HEATHER WATSON bounced back from a “heartbreaking” second set to win the Mexican Open final. The British No.2 triumphed 6-4, 6-7 (10-8), 6-1, over Canada’s Leylah Fernandez to seal her fourth WTA Tour title but squandered five championship points in the second-set tie-break.
Watson eventually put the encounter to bed after two and three-quarter hours with her 10th match point and revealed afterwards how she dealt mentally with her second-set profligacy.
“I’m so happy to get my fourth title,” said Watson, who was the No.7 seed. “It’s been a few years, so I’m just really, really happy I came through that match.
“It was so up and down. I had those [match] points in the second set and I wasn’t able to win that, but I was really pleased with how I stayed in the moment and won that third set.
“It was heartbreaking losing the second set, but I also reminded myself that I also saved a lot of set points before that. It was so close, both of us had our chances.
“I just had to leave that set behind me, even though I had my opportunities, and just remind myself that it’s just a tennis match and it won’t be the end of the world if I don’t win. Just play every point and focus on just that one point, that next point.”
Watson last won a title in 2016, also in Mexico, and it has been a tough road since.
The 27-year-old has dipped in and out of the top 100, but she ended last season by reaching would be really tough because the two matches before that had been really tough. The thing I notice about her the most is the head on her shoulders. She’s very, very mature for her age.
“I think it’s her mental toughness that really stands out. I think she’s going to have a great career ahead of her and rise up the rankings very quickly if she keeps playing like this.”
In the men’s final, Rafael Nadal won his first title of the year with an emphatic performance against American Taylor Fritz. The Spaniard trounced Taylor 6-3, 6-2, the American making a series of unforced errors in the second set before Nadal brought up match point with an ace and Taylor returned long to end the match.
“I couldn’t be happier,” he said after winning the title for the third time. “I played a great event from the beginning to the end.
“Acapulco was the first big title that I won in my career, so to be able to stay here after 15 years is amazing. I can’t thank enough the people who make me feel at home every single time.
“After not competing since Australia, it’s an important week for me and an important moment. This title doesn’t mean that I will have a great season. It means another good start of the season for me. At the end of the day, I’m still competing for these feelings that I am having right now. Regardless of the result, I am always happy after playing here. Now imagine how I am after getting the title!”
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic maintained his unbeaten start to 2020 by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4, in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final.