Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares
Photo by Mike Frey/BPI/REX/Shutterstock | Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares

Jamie Murray & Heather Watson win titles in Acapulco

By Glenys Furness

  • Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares claim the ATP 500 title
  • Heather Watson & Tatjana Maria claim the WTA International event title
ACAPULCO, MEXICO – Jamie Murray and Heather Watson claim the doubles titles at the same event ending a good week in South America.

 

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Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares were third seeds in Mexico and their first round opponents were Denis Shapovalov & Hyeon Chung. The Brit/Brazilian were held close in the first set by the Canadian/Korean as neither team could break ahead. In the tiebreak that would decide the first set the seeds dominated to take the set.

The second set was a much quicker affair for the seeds, with Shapovalov & Chung struggling with the serve of Murray & Soares. The Canadian/Korean could not break through and the seeds were soon on their way to the next round with a straight sets win 7-6(3), 6-2

In the quarter-final Murray & Soares faced Marcelo Demoliner & Sam Querrey. The Brazilian/American pairing were no match for the third seeds, who raced through the first set for the loss of only two games. Demoliner & Querrey pushed a little closer in the second set, but it was the seeds who prevailed and broke serve to earn a semi-final spot 6-2, 6-3

The semi-final saw the third seeds up against Nikola Mektic & Alexander Peya. In the first set the Croatian/Austrian kept toe to toe with Murray & Soares until the Brit/Brazilian made the breakthrough at the business end of the set to edge ahead in the match. In the second set the seeds took their chance and broke early, from which Metic & Peya could not recover. Murray & Soares had booked their place in the final 7-5, 6-3

In the final Murray & Soares were up against arguably one of the best doubles teams of all time Bob & Mike Bryan. The American brothers were seeded fourth and have together won a total of 170 titles together over ATP events and Grand Slams since they started.

The first set was very close with neither pair getting the opening and a tie break ensued. The Brit/Brazilian took the lead and never looked back sealing the set. In the second set the pairs could not be separated until right at the end when the third seeds broke to take the title 7-6(4), 7-5

Heather Watson and Tatjana Maria were unseeded here in Acapulco, their first round opponents were Cornelia Lister & Yana Sizikova. The Brit/German were pushed hard in the first set by Lister & Sizikova but Watson & Maria broke at the business end to take the lead. The Swede/Russian fought back in the next set breaking the Brit/German and levelling up the match. In the match tiebreak Watson & Maria edged ahead to book a spot in the next round 7-6(4), 4-6, 11-9

In the quarter-final Watson & Maria faced Desirae Krawczyk & Giuliana Olmas, the American/Mexican took the first set from the Brit/German before Watson & Maria launched a fightback. After taking the second set to level the match the Brit/German had yet another match tiebreak to decide the semi finalists. This time Watson & Maria dominated to book the semi spot 4-6, 6-4, 10-3.

The semi-final saw Watson & Maria against the fourth seeds Lara Arruabarrena & Arantxa Parra Santonja. The Spaniards were no match for the Brit/German though who were on a roll now and took the match in straight sets for the loss of five games overall, the second set being the easier. Watson & Maria booked the spot in the final 6-4, 6-1.

In the final the Brit/German faced another unseeded pair Kaitlyn Christian & Sabrina Santamaria. The Americans had not dropped a set en route to the final, so a tough match was on the cards. Watson & Maria secured the vital break needed in the first set to take the lead. Christian & Santamaria were not done yet though, and the Americans fought back breaking twice in the second set to level up. Fittingly a match tiebreak would decide the title, Watson & Maria dominated this and took the trophy 7-5, 2-6, 10-2

 

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Doubles Round Up

Anna Smith with Renata Voracova lost in the quarter-final of Acapulco 6-4, 7-5

Dom Inglot with Marcus Daniell lost in the first round of Dubai 6-3, 6-7(8), 10-7

Naomi Broady with Eva Hrdinova lost in the first round in Indian Wells 6-3, 6-3

Neal Skupski with Hugo Nys lost in the first round of Indian Wells challenger 6-3, 6-4

Luke Bambridge & Joe Salisbury won the first set of Indian Wells Challenger on the tie break 7-6(4) but then lost the next 6-3, 10-5

Liam Broady with Matt Reid lost in the semi-final of Indian Wells Challenger 6-3, 6-7(5), 10-8

Brydan Klein with Luca Margaroll lost in the first round of Yokohama they won the first set tiebreak 7-6(2) but then lost the next 7-6(5), 10-6

Tara Moore with Conny Perrin won the title in Sao Paulo 6-4, 3-6, 13-11

Next week Brits play in Santa Margherita di Pula, Sherbrooke, Nishi-Tama  & Indian Wells.