Czech tennis player Tomas Machac claimed his maiden ATP title on Saturday after defeating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 at the Mexico Open in Acapulco.
Machac, the eighth seed who ranked 65th in the world a year ago, entered the week ranked 25th and is expected to break into the top 20 when the new rankings are announced on Monday.
The 24-year-old showcased an excellent serving performance, winning 37 out of 39 first-serve points and saving a set point at 5/6 in the first set tiebreak with a powerful serve that forced an error from Davidovich.
He also excelled from the baseline, utilising his forehand to take control of rallies, achieving his second victory in as many matches against Davidovich, who is ranked 48th in the world. This marks a consecutive ATP runner-up finish for Davidovich, who squandered two match points in his defeat to Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in the Delray Beach final in February.
Machac becomes the second Czech player to win the Mexico Open, following Jiri Novak’s victory in 1998.
He is also the third player this season to win their first ATP title, joining Alexandre Muller in Hong Kong in January and 18-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca in Buenos Aires in February. Before this week, Machac held the distinction of being the top-ranked player without a tour-level title.
