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Zverev Ends Five-Match Losing Streak vs. Tsitsipas to Win Acapulco 500 Title
- Updated: March 21, 2021
![](https://i1.wp.com/www.10sballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ZverevFist.jpg?w=615&ssl=1)
By Ricky Dimon
Just about everything was in Stefanos Tsitsipas’ favor heading into Sunday night’s final of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel against Alexander Zverev.
Tsitsipas had won five matches in a row against Zverev to take a 5-1 lead in the head-to-head series. He had been the best player all week long in Acapulco, too, destroying most opponents in addition to beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in a high-quality three-setter. When the world No. 5 led Zverev 4-1 and had three break points for a double-break lead in the first set of the final, it was all going according to plan.
And then everything changed. Zverev fought off all three break points to hold for 2-4, ended the opening set by taking five games in succession, and survived a wild second set to triumph 6-4, 7-6(3) after two hours and 17 minutes of play.
“I’ve always said that this is definitely a tournament that I wanted to win in my career,” said Zverev, who finished runner-up to Nick Kyrgios in 2019. “I have a very strong relationship with Mexico and with this tournament. I came here with a goal and I achieved it, and I’m very happy with that.
“It’s amazing. I’m extremely happy to finally win the singles trophy. This means a lot to me…. The year is different. We played (each other) a lot in 2019 and early 2020 when I was not really myself. It was a better quality match from me (than in previous matches against Tsitsipas).”
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That’s not to say it was brilliant from start to finish. In fact, the ending was almost as bad as the beginning for Zverev. The seventh-ranked German played a disastrous service game while trying to close out the contest at 5-4, double-faulting three times and squandering one match en route to being broken. Zverev then missed three break chances at 5-5, but he did well to save a break point at 5-6 and force a tiebreaker.
Having steadied himself, the No. 2 seed led the ‘breaker the whole way to secure his 14th career ATP title.
“In the beginning I started off extremely bad,” Zverev admitted. “I had to fight my way into the match, and I did well to win the first set. In the second set, when I have a chance I need to close it out against these top players because normally they won’t give you a second chance. I thought I played extremely well in the tiebreak; I’m happy with how it went.”
“I take this week very positively,” Tsitsipas concluded. “I think it is great being able to play at such an intensity and level. I was very close once again to clinch and get that title, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.10sballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TsitsipasVolley.jpg?w=615&ssl=1)
Ricky contributes to10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.