Tennis: Tsurenko downs Mladenovic for Acapulco WTA title

Lesia Tsurenko (right) and Kristina Mladenovic pose after the Mexican Tennis Open WTA final match in Acapulco on March 4, 2017. PHOTO: AFP

Acapulco, Mexico (AFP) - Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko nabbed her third WTA Tour title Saturday, toppling second-seeded Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 7-5 in the Mexican Open final at Acapulco.

Tsurenko, the seventh seed who advanced when top-seeded Mirjana Lucic-Baroni retired from their semi-final with illness, got off to a hot start and held on to notch her fourth win over France's Mladenovic in five career meetings.

Tsurenko has now won a title in each of the past three years - emerging triumphant in all three of her career finals appearances.

Tsurenko rolled to a 5-0 lead and in the second set, she earned what proved to be the decisive break in the 11th game and then held for the win.

Mladenovic was denied a second career title to go with the St Petersburg trophy she lifted last month.

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