Watson digs deep to win WTA title No.4

PART-PAPUA New Guinean Heather Watson won the Mexican Open by beating Canada’s Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 6-1 on Sunday.
The 27-year-old, whose mum is from Maprik, East Sepik, claimed victory with her 10th championship point, having withstood a second-set fightback from the 17-year-old, to win her fourth career title and the first since 2016.
Victory for the world No.69 will saw her re-enter the Top 50 of the Women’s Tennis Association singles rankings yesterday.
“It was so up and down but I’m so happy to get my fourth title,” said Watson, whose dad Ian is from England.
“It’s been a few years so I’m just happy I came through.”
Watson lost her first five championship points in the second set tie-break before regaining her composure to only lose one game in the final set.
“I had those (match) points in the second set, and I wasn’t able to win that, but I was really pleased with how I stayed and won that third set,” she said.
Watson’s last title also came in Mexico when she won in Monterrey four years ago, after previous victories in Osaka (2012) and Hobart (2015).
She is the first British player to reach the Acapulco final and victory moved her closer to her career-best spot of 38, which she reached in January 2015.