Heather Watson digs deep to capture 4th career title at Acapulco

     "I don't care how you got there...you got there...it doesn't matter," Heather Watson's mom Michelle had said giving her daughter a big hug after she'd won her fourth career title at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel. 'A win is a win' but for Watson who went down to the wire playing gritty against Canada's 17-year-old Leylah Fernandez it was tough. She'd managed though and came up with the victory of 6-4, 6-7, 6-1.

     Watson overpowered Fernandez to take the first set 6-4. It had gotten a bit scary when the Brit's concentration slipped at a 5-1 lead. She allowed the Canadian teen to crawl her way back gaining 3 more games before Watson used her experience to seal the set at 6-4. It was done by opening up the court, painting the lines and just being dominant that led to Watson grabbing the first set.

     Leylah Fernandez showed she can be aggressive too. She'd won 3 ITF titles this year already and the Girls' division at Roland Garros. "...It was the first Grand Slam I saw," Fernandez had said upon winning the Parisian title. But she nearly taught her Brit opponent a lesson by being feisty and having the ability to predict the Brit's shots. She brought the games up to a tiebreak in the second set with mixing up her shots and playing confident as her down the lines were mastered beautifully. She is gaining speed in knowing how to deal with competitive players and squeezed out a win of 10 points to Watson's 8 to win the second set. "It's so easy to get discouraged after losing the 2nd set," Tennis Channel's Paul Annacone remarked feeling concerned for Heather Watson's performance in the remainder of the game.

     But the deciding set wasn't a give-away for either player as the Brit just stayed focused and determined gathering a 5-1 lead. She would retaliate and win on her shots, mixing them up at times and throwing everything she could muster up but Fernandez kept fighting. It took Watson 10 championship points to get the title. At times things looked bleak, but she was defiant to break the Canadian teen at all costs. Even as Watson led 5-1, Paul Annacone remarked that Fernandez "...has relentless optimism" thinking she could come back from a huge deficit. The points were clicking away as Watson sealed the match and title winning 6-4, 6-7, 6-1. She'd look up at the crowd as to thank them for their support. It was during the trophy presentation Watson gave kudos to Fernandez saying "You're only 17 years old and you have a great future ahead of you."

     Heather Watson has started having a bright streak at this 2020 season by reaching the semi-finals of the Hobart International and winning this title she'll be in the top 50 world rankings. Four must be her lucky number to have won four years ago in Monterrey and how to claim her 4th career title. Watson feels that she's on a roll now saying "Such a great atmosphere to play in". She seems to do well in Mexico and as she claimed her Monterrey title in 2016 exclaimed that "I just love it here in Mexico."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2TxS3Us