Lesia Tsurenko claimed the third WTA title of her career with a 6-1 7-5 victory over Kristina Mladenovic at the Mexicano Open tennis tournament in Acapulco.
The Ukrainian’s strong play from the baseline did not allow the Frenchwoman to settle and Tsurenko raced into a 4-0 lead in the opening set in just 15 minutes on Sunday (AEDT).
It was a different story in the second set as it began with eight consecutive breaks of serve before Mladenovic held for a 5-4 lead.
Tsurenko responded with a hold of her own before breaking Mladenovic again and then serving out for victory in one hour and 20 minutes.
“It was a very difficult match, I felt very comfortable in the first set but in the second I felt quite nervous,” Tsurenko explained to reporters after the match.
“She played better, and I think I was realising that I could get the title and that was making me nervous.
“She really pushed me to play my best tennis because she was attacking a lot. I was just focusing on myself and doing everything that I can. I’m really happy to win.”