Tomas Machac secured his maiden ATP title with a commanding victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, winning 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 in the Mexico Open final in Acapulco. The Czech player, who was ranked 65th in the world just a year ago, entered the tournament as the eighth seed and will break into the top 20 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
His dominant performance on serve proved crucial, winning 37 of 39 first-serve points and saving a set point in the first-set tiebreak with a powerful serve that forced an error from his Spanish opponent.
Machac controlled the match from the baseline, using his forehand to dictate play and securing his second career victory over Davidovich, who is currently ranked 48th. With this triumph, the 24-year-old becomes the second Czech player to win the Mexico Open, following in the footsteps of Jiri Novak, who claimed the title in 1998.
His success also makes him the third first-time ATP champion of the season, joining Alexandre Muller, who won in Hong Kong in January, and Joao Fonseca, the 18-year-old Brazilian who triumphed in Buenos Aires last month.
For Davidovich, the defeat marked his second consecutive runner-up finish on the ATP Tour. The Spaniard had also reached the final at the Delray Beach Open in February, where he squandered two match points before falling to Miomir Kecmanovic. Despite another near miss, his consistent deep runs suggest he remains a formidable contender on the tour.
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