• The XXIX edition will go down in history with the opening of the new venue: Arena GNP Seguros.
• Daniil Medvedev, number 2 in the world, another confirmed player who will play in the new venue of the ATP 500 tournament.
• The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, 3 of the ATP ranking, will return to Acapulco to try to win the title.
• The German Alexander Zverev, number 4 in the ATP and reigning champion, will return to defend his crown in the tournament’s new home
• Matteo Berretini, current number 7 in the world, will play for the first time in the tournament in Acapulco.
• We will continue with the Safety Program, AMT SAFETY, which is responsible for safety protocols against COVID-19.
• The Walt Disney Company, Star+ and Disney+ streaming services per subscription joined as AMT sponsors.

Mexico, October 20, 2021. – The XXIX edition of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC will begin a new era for the most important tennis tournament in Latin America. Within the player list of this ATP 500 tournament, which will be held on February 21st through the 26th, the first players confirmed to debut in the new venue, Arena GNP Seguros, are Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Matteo Berrettini.

The event starts a new path with the premiere of this modern and functional complex, in which high level matches are expected since this venue is intended to create a competitive draw, full of talented players such as these players currently located in the Top-10 of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).

The Russian Daniil Medvedev, 25 years old and currently number 2 in the world, is living one of the best seasons of his career: he added four more titles in 2021, and his most recent triumph was in the US Open, where he won his first crown in a Grand Slam tournament, after defeating Novak Djokovic in the Final. Medvedev has 13 titles on the tour. He will try to increase them on his first visit to Acapulco.

The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas will be on the Guerrero coast for the second consecutive year, with the intention getting back into the Finals since last year he was defeated by Alexander Zverev. The charismatic player, 23 years old, is currently number 3 in the ranking and has 7 titles, one of them being the Nitto ATP Finals in 2019, as well as Lyon and Monte Carlo. In addition, this year he was a finalist of Roland Garros, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.

Another favorite of the Mexican audience is the German Alexander Zverev, who will return to Acapulco as a reigning champion and defend his crown, the one he won in the previous edition after defeating the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the Final.

Sascha, who also played doubles in 2019 with his brother Mischa Zverev, will be at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC for the fifth time. The current 4 in the world, 24 years old, has 17 ATP titles and is living one of the best years of his career, apart from his victory in Acapulco, he won Madrid, Cincinnati and won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

One of the most outstanding players on the tour, Matteo Berrettini, will live his first experience at the AMT. The number 7 of the ATP, at 25 years of age, has 5 titles on the tour, where Queen’s and Belgrade are two of his last victories in 2021. He was also a finalist in the last edition of Wimbledon, where he lost to the Serbian Novak Djokovic.

“We are very excited to be able to announce 4 Top Ten for the next edition of the Tournament. They are magnificent players, two of which are great known and adored by the Mexican public: Sascha Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Also, two of them will be participating for the first time in Acapulco, Mateo Berrettini and the number two in the world: the Russian Daniil Medvedev”, commented the director of the tournament, Raúl Zurutuza.

ARENA GNP SEGUROS, AMT’S NEW HOME

In this XXIX edition, the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC will celebrate the premiere of its new home, the Arena GNP Seguros, a historical event for the Tournament.

The new venue, the third to host the event after the German Club of Mexico City (1993-1999) and the Estadio Mextenis at the Hotel Princess Mundo Imperial (2001-2020), is located in Acapulco Diamante, on Paseo de los Manglares, an open area over eight acres.

The Main Stadium, whose surface will be hard courts, is designed to receive more than 10,000 spectators, making it the largest venue in Latin America for an ATP tournament. In addition, the complex includes a Grandstand (Grandstand Caliente.mx) for more than 2,000 people and 4 alternate courts with a capacity of more than 2,000 spectators.

The venue will offer more open spaces for a greater flow and better access to fans, as well as a food area, restaurants, shops, and an extensive entertainment area.

THE AMT SAFETY CONTINUES

Due to the sanitary contingency caused by COVID-19, the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC will continue the AMT Safety Program, which will be responsible for planning, operating and the execution of safety measures and protocols, ensuring and safeguarding the health of fans, staff, and players during the tournament.

When the tournament begins, the tournament will follow the guidelines created by the authorities of the State of Guerrero, as well as those indicated by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), for the proper management of the health emergency.

Just like the previous edition, all fans attending the tournament must present the vaccination certificate or an antigen test with negative result for COVID 19 done at a laboratory, hospital or pharmacy. This test will have a maximum validity of 72 hours in order to enter the facilities of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

NEW SPONSORS

The Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC is proud to announce the participation of two brands worldwide recognized for their leadership, content, and innovation: Star+ and Disney+.

“We are very proud to partner with two major market leaders. We welcome Star+ and Disney+ to the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. We are confident that together, we will continue to promote the importance of this sport and its virtues throughout the country,” Zurutuza said.

TICKETS ON SALE

Ticket sale for the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC began yesterday, Monday October 4^th and can be purchased at the Mextenis box office in Arcos Bosques or through the Ticketmaster system.

For more information, please visitwww.abiertomexicanodetenis.com

CONTACT

América Jiménez

Head of Press in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC

america@mextenis.com

55 3037 3189

• Alexander Zverev (No.7) is the new champion in Acapulco after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas (No.5) in straight sets.
• He is the fourth player to win the singles (2021) doubles (2019) titles.
• Acapulco represents his 14th ATP title.

The German Alexander Zverev (No.7) was crowned in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC after defeating the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (No.5) in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (3).

After four consecutive appearances in Acapulco, the 23-year-old managed to raise the trophy in the singles category since back in 2019 he was crowned the doubles champion alongside his brother Mischa.

He is the fourth player to win in both categories in Acapulco, joining Jiri Novak (singles and doubles in 1998), Guga Kuerten (singles and doubles in 2001) and David Ferrer (2005 doubles, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015 singles).

Zverev, who entered the court with the Mexican national team’s jersey, seemed distracted at the beginning of the game, he was making many mistakes in his first serve, from a double fault to missing a easy smash, and gave his rival an early advantage of 3-0.

In the 4-2, Sasha had three break opportunities, but he only needed one to get back the break from the beginning of the match, and holding his serve, one game later he managed to tie the match 4-4. From that moment, the roles were reversed having the German attacking and Tsitsipas defending.

In the ninth game, the Greek made a double fault and Zverev won his fourth game in a row to take the lead for the first time in the match 5-4 and serve for the set. Although the Greek had a breakpoint in the tenth game, he did not take advantage of this and the German, driven by the fans, managed to come back and took the first set after 50 minutes.

Tsitsipas, fifth in the ranking, began to lose confidence in the second set. Unlike the first chapter, in the second set the games were increasingly competitive, with long rallies from the back of the court and both players saving break points. Since the third game, Zverev had many opportunities to break even though he failed to convert any.

Tsitsipas, uncomfortable with Sasha’s powerful shots, lost his serve with a double fault in the ninth game and gave Zverev the chance to take the match. With the score being 5-4, the German had a match point, but with a double fault, he gave the game to Tsitsipas tying 5-5.

With the Mextenis Stadium excited by the heat of the crowd, Tsitsipas managed to keep his serve to go 6-5 with some problems. A game later, he had a set point, which Zverev saved with an ace more than 200 kilometers per hour in order to force a tie-break that the German would win 7-3.

“At first I didn’t have a great start, I didn’t play well. As the match progressed I got better, and I need to learn how to close the games because they don’t usually give you the opportunity. This time it was possible, but it is something I must improve,” said the German.

Zverev, player #7, managed to break a five losing streak against Tsitsipas, in order to secure his first title of 2021 and become the first German to win in Acapulco. He defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the first round, then defeated Laslo Djere in the round of 16, reached the semifinals after the beating Casper Ruud, made it into the final against Dominik Koepfer and gave a great match in the final defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas.

After reaching the semi-finals in 2018, where he fell against Juan Martín del Potro, and the 2019 finals where he lost against Nick Kyrgios, Zverev finally got the very anticipated title in Acapulco without losing a single set in the tournament.

“I have always said that this is one of the tournaments I would like to win. I have a very strong relationship with Mexico. I came with a goal and achieved it. I haven’t had such a special week in a long time, because of course winning is important, but in general, I miss playing in front of the public and here I received a warm welcome”.

Wearing the Mexican national team jersey, with a mariachi hat and listening to the audience singing “Sasha, brother, you are already Mexican”, Zverev lifted his fourteenth ATP trophy and asked Raúl Zurutuza, director of the tournament, to allow him to return and defend his title in 2022.

• The brothers, Ken and Neal Skupski, defeated Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (3) and 6-4
• The British won their third title together, their first ATP 500 and the first in the season
• They are the third couple of brothers that win the tournament after the Bryans (2002 and 2004) and the Zverevs (2019).

The brothers, Neal and Ken Skupski, are the new doubles champions of the XXVIII edition of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.

The British defeated the tournament’s number one couple 7-6 (3) and 6-4 coming back from behind to take over the firsts set in order to crown themselves.

The match started with Granollers and Zeballos playing very solid and with very clear ideas. In the third game they managed to take their rivals’ serve and scored 2-1 after consolidating that break with the Spaniard’s serve.

Something important in the game was the equality between both couples, with more than 70% in first serves, little details and the second serve became important later in the set.

It was until the tenth game when the top-ranked couple of the tournament had the opportunity to close with their serve in the first set, but after relying on their game and modifying their strategy, Ken and Neal Skupski managed to equalize 5-5.

The first set was resolved with a tie breaker, where the Skupski brothers were more successful than their rivals and finished their comeback in order to win the first set.

In the second set, the brothers came with inertia from the first sone, and in the third game they broke Marcel Granollers’s serve.

This advantage was enough to take the set and the match since they were defending their serve to close the match 6-4.

“”It was difficult to get in Acapulco since our ranking is not very good, we were the last to enter the tournament, we took the opportunity and now we will increase our ranking, and hopefully we can play Masters 1000 and more ATP 500,” said Neal.

With this victory, the Skupski brothers won their third title as a couple after Montpellier (2018) and Budapest (2019), the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC is the first ATP 500 they win together.

Neal and Ken Skupski became the third couple of brothers that raised the trophy after the Bryans in 2002 and 2004, and the Zverevs in 2019.

“It was a great week, we’d already been here but we hadn’t played as a couple and there’s no better feeling than winning alongside your brother,” Ken said.

In the press conference, wearing a mariachi hat and their trophies in hand, they acknowledged their intention to visit Mexico more, and said that this year they plan on attend the Abierto de Tenis Mifel that will be held in Los Cabos in July 19 through the 24.

• Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 5) is one of the finalists in Acapulco, he will face Zverev.
• Alexander Zverev (No.7) got to the finals by defeating his compatriot Dominik Koepfer (No.71) in straight sets.
• Zverev will play his second final in Acapulco, back in 2019 he lost against Nick Kyrgios.

The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 5) and the German Alexander Zverev (No.7), seeded #1 and #2, will play against each other in the final of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. Tsitsipas defeated Lorenzo Musetti (No.120), while Zverev defeated his fellow countryman Dominik Koepfer (No.71)

Zverev, who got to to the semifinals without playing the previous round since his rival retired, started off safely and took the control of the first games by breaking Koepfer’s first and third serve.

Everyone thought that Koepfer would put more of a fight against Zverev, however in game six he shortened the score to 4-3 after breaking Koepfer and winning his own serve. But in the next game, Sasha, saved three breaking points, maintained the lead, and two games later Zverev took the first set 6-4.

In the second set, Koepfer playing his first semifinal in the ATP, took advantage of Zverev’s distractions because of the earthquake in the state of Guerrero, match went 1-1.

“I didn’t know what was going on, nor did Dominik, we just started listening to the audience and the lights shook a bit, but we were actually just running on the court”.

Playing all out, Koepfer had a head start at the beginning of the set, which he would not let go until the ninth game when, with two double faults, he lost his serve to Zverev, who kept his own by equalizing the set 5-5.

The set led into a tiebreaker, in favor of the #7 player, who sealed the victory in just over an hour 6-4, 7-6 (5) to get to his first final since the Masters 1000 in Paris, November 2020.

The 23-year-old German, who plays for the fourth year in a row in Acapulco, still hasn’t lost a single set in the tournament and will reach the final with a sum of only five hours of play. This will be the second time that the German will play hoping to raise the trophy, his first final in Acapulco was in 2019 but he lost it to the Australian Nick Kyrgios.

“A lot has happened since then. As a person and as a player, I have grown and evolved, I am two years older. But definitely my goals remain the same, win in the greatest scenarios. This is a great tournament, and I would be very excited if I win”.

Meanwhile, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 5), first pre-classified, had no problems defeating the Italian Lorenzo Musetti and reach the final of the Mexican ATP 500.

Tsitsipas has shown a great quality in his tennis on his debut in Acapulco. He played very strong in his semifinal match and it only took him one hour and 20 minutes to defeat the 19-year-old by 6-1, 6-3.

In the first set, the 22 years old Greek broke Musetti in the fourth game and went up 3-1. Winning 92% of the points made with his first serve, Tsitsipas only needed half an hour to get the first set 6-1.

Musetti, the youngest player to reach the semifinals since Rafael Nadal back in 2005 (18 years old), felt fatigued after a long week of playing since he started on Saturday playing in the qualifying round. The three matches of the qualifying round, added to the three from the main draw, took him to ask for medical attention after finishing the first set due to muscular fatigue.

“It was hard for me to play tonight, my legs hurt, it was hard to breathe and physically I didn’t feel at my 100%” said Musetti, who will enter the Top 100 ranking next week.

Even though Musetti didn’t stop fighting, Tsitsipas was patient, he took advantage of the situation and after breaking his serve on the seventh game, he took the set 6-3 and the match.

Tsitsipas, five time champion on the ATP tour, will play his first final of 2021 against Alexander Zverev, who has faced before on 6 occasions with a winning record of 5 victories to one defeat.

“I have played well. I feel comfortable in the court. Him (Zverev) has had the same route as me to get to the final. I try not to think about the head-to-head against him because for me every match is a new one. Every match is a new lesson and I always try to evaluate and learn from them.” Said Tsitsipas, who will play his first final since September of 2020 (Hamburg ATP 500)

• Marcel Granollers (ESP) and Horacio Zeballos (ARG) qualified for the first time to the final of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.
• Ken and Neal Skupski are looking to be the third couple of brothers to raise the title.

Both couples will try to achieve their first title of the season

The doubles final of the XXVIII edition of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC has already the two couples that will play the match in order to win the title of the tournament.

After taking few weeks off, since falling in the first round of the Australian Open, the Spaniard Marcel Granollers and the Argentine Horacio Zeballos reached their first final of the year.

In the semi-final against France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, champions of the 2019 Nitto Finals, they managed to keep their rhythm displayed throughout their participation in the tournament. Supported by their serve and with a very fluid game, they advanced to the final of this edition.

It was until the sixth game of the first set when the couple, the first pre-classified of the tournament, managed to break Herbert’s serve in order to score 4-2, advantage that a game later consolidate with the  Spaniard’s serve and number 13 in the doubles ranking. They would end up closing the first set with the Argentine’s serve 6-3.

In the second set, they tied at 3-3 but in the seventh game and with the Frenchman Mahut’s serve, the Spanish-Argentine couple broke for 4-3 and although they won the next game, they were not able to close the match with the Argentine’s serve, causing this set to go to a tie break that benefited the couple formed by Granollers and Zeballos.

With a score of 6-3 and 7-6 (6), Zeballos and Granollers outperformed last year’s result when they fell in the first round. Achieving the title in Acapulco would be the first for them in 2021 and fifth title as a couple.

The second finalist couple of this edition is formed by the British brothers Neal and Ken Skupski, who defeated Rajeev Ram and John Salisbury (fourth seed in the tournament), in the semifinal.

In the first set they did not give time for their rivals to react when they broke their compatriot Salisbury’s first serve of the match, they took advantage to win the first set by 6-4.

In the second set, the game between the two couples were matched and it was until the sixth game when the Skupski brothers would see their rivals take over Neal’s serve and then Salisbury defended his serve to place himself 5-2, but that difference disappeared when in the ninth game they broke Rajeev Ram’s serve and held their serve for the 5-5.

The score kept tied for the rest of the match, forcing the two couples to decide the winner of the second set in the tie break, which was taken over by the British, who, like their rivals in the final, will seek their first title of the year, their third one as partners after Montpellier in 2018 and Budapest in 2019.

It will be the first time that these two couples face each other, although in the 2020 edition of Roland Garros, Neal Skupski teaming up with Jamie Murray defeated th ecouple formed by Zeballos and Granollers. If the Skupski’s brothers win, they would be the third couple of brothers to raise the champions’ title after the brothers Mike and Bob Bryan (2002 and 2004) and Alexander and Mischa Zverev (2019).

• The new venue, Arena GNP Seguros, will host the tournament starting 2022 and will have capacity for 10.299 people.
• “Grupo Pegaso’s dream is back: build a stadium for the most important tennis event in Latin America,” said Renata Burillo, president of Mextenis.
• Grupo Autofin México and Grupo Mundo Imperial announced the name, Arena GNP Seguros.

Acapulco, Guerrero.- The president of the Board of Directors of Mextenis, Renata Burillo, participated in the continuation of the construction of the Arena GNP Seguros, the new house of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, which will host the tournament starting in 2022.

The sports complex, that will have a capacity in the main stadium for 10,229 people, had to stop all construction work due to the pandemic, however, since this Tuesday, the construction is back and running, which has advanced 24%, of the venue completed and the foundation of the first structures.

“This Friday, the dream that began many years ago for Grupo Pegaso is now reactivated: building a venue for the most important tennis tournament in Latin America and one of the most important sporting events in Mexico,” Burillo said in a press conference.

She stated that despite the difficult situation the world is going through, “initiatives of this sort are worth sharing as they provide not only great news, but a real support for the people of Acapulco” that from now on it’s generating, and will continue to generate, a huge amount of direct and indirect jobs which is a very strong support for the destination.

Burillo highlighted that the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC “with its extensive media and international coverage, will add to the effort and help generate a positive image for this magnificent port, our beautiful Acapulco”.

The complex, which is part of the 2017-2022 Master Plan, has an investment of 30 million dollars, as well as the generation of 150 direct employments and up to 400 indirect employments, promoting an economic growth in Acapulco and the correct reactivation of activities that benefits the social welfare of the destination.

In the continuing of the construction of the new venue for the tournament, the president of the Grupo Autofin México and Grupo Mundo Imperial, the Public Accountant, Juan Antonio Hernández, said that with this construction “we will reach an extraordinary level of attraction”.

He also said: “I asked Alejandro Burillo that later on maybe we could be co-sponsors of different tennis events,” Hernández said, also adding that among other shows, there will be concerts, boxing matches and wrestling, basketball, exhibitions and other world-class events.

This idea was confirmed by the President of the Board of Directors of Mextenis, who acknowledged that the idea from the beginning was having a multifunctional venue and was contemplated to be used as many times a year.

The Governor of the state of Guerrero, Hector Astudillo Flores, considered very important “the fact of continuing with total support for the conclusion of this project”, especially in this moment that we are living the middle of the tournament in Acapulco.

“I’m sure that in March of 2022, the Mextenis tournament will be held in this venue,” said Astudillo.

The project, designed by the Architect, José de Arimatea Moyao López, includes a stadium for 10,229 spectators, and two smaller stadiums, Grandstand for 3,000 and 1,500 people and four other courts. One added value of this construction is the sustainability of the project.

There will be a total of 28 suites that can accommodate 22 spectators each with rows of three seats and benches, a comfortable interior room with air conditioning, toilets and bar. There will also be two suites for 56 people in all the facilities. In addition, it will have easy access to people with disabilities at all levels and up to 800 parking spaces. This property will be located in Paseo de los Manglares and Boulevard de las Naciones, a venue with views of the Pacific.

The Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC reported that during the protocol routine of the periodic tests performed on the staff, Raúl Zurutuza, Tournament Director, tested positive for COVID 19, and despite that he isn´t showing any symptoms, he is isolated and receiving preventive medical care.

“This morning my normal routine for the PCR test came back positive; we immediately applied all protocols and I’m already isolated and taking preventive medical care. I feel well and without any major discomfort. I want to thank all the medical team of the Tournament for their attention”, said Zurutuza.

As part of the protocol established by the AMT Safety Program for positive cases, those who had direct contact with Zurutuza were tested for PCR and antigen as a precautionary measure, all of which came back negative.

Out of the 3,445 PCR and Antigen tests that have been performed on players and staff during the Tournament, only 9 staff members have been positive. The strict security and sanitization program, the control of tests and the fulfillment of safety protocols have allowed the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC to be in control of the situation with very favorable results. Health and safety are our number one priority. The Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, through its AMT Safety Program, follows all the medical protocols of the national and international health authorities for COVID 19 and has implemented guidelines for players, staff and the public with all social interactions, health and hygiene.

• Alexander Zverev got to the semifinals directly after the Norwegian Casper Ruud retired.
• Stefanos Tsitsipas only needed  two hours to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime.
• the Italian Lorenzo Musetti keeps defeating his rivales such as Grigor Dimitrov.
• Herbert/Mahut vs Granollers/ Zeballos and Skupski/Skupski vs Ram/Salisbury, the semifinals in the doubles tournament.

The quarterfinals of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC began with the German Alexander Zverev (No.7) who immediately got to the semifinals of this edition after his rival. the Norwegian Casper Ruud (No. 25), retired due to an injury.

Ruud was having some discomfort on his right wrist which did not allow him to train well, he felt a constant pain which caused him to retire.

Zverev, second seed of the tournament, will play his third semifinal of the Abierto Mexicano in only four participations. His balance in semifinals it’s one more victory for him against Cameron Norrie in 2019 and a loss against Juan Martin del Potro in 2018.

His rival will be his compatriot Dominik Koepfer (No. 71), who managed to defeat the British Cameron Norrie (No. 61) in an hour forty-nine minutes. It was a pretty even match so getting a break and keeping it became very important. In this case it was Koepfer who managed to win this round for the first time in the year.

 Zverev will seek his second final in the Mexican tournament after the one he achieved back in 2019 where he lost to Nick Kyrgios, while Koepfer will try to reach the first final of his career.

Stefanos Tsitsipas’s (No.5) passion towards the Mexican tournament continues. After only two hours of play, the Greek got his semifinal ticket during his first participation in the tournament.

The best player of this edition had to recover from a bad start where he began the tournament with a 0-2. It was in the seventh game where he managed to recover the break and equaled the score until the twelfth game where he again broke his rival and ended up winning the first set 7-5.

In the second set Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 18) was already winning in the third game, an advantage that he did not lose at any time. His 6-4 on the scoreboard created a third set against the Greek player. Both refused to give up their game in the match, but in the eighth game, Tsitsipas broke his opponent’s serve and finally closed the match and secured his presence in the semifinals against the Italian Lorenzo Musetti.

With only 19 years old, Musetti (No.120) is unstoppable in the tournament and this time he defeated the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov (No.16), fifth seed, with a combination of experience, resistance and big hits.

During the 2-hour match, the Italian player (and sensation of the tournament) proved that he knows how to keep a calm mindset at important moments as well as not losing concentration even when he is below the score. The sets for the Italian promise were 6-4, 7-6(3), who will play against Tsitsipas for a ticket to the final.

In the doubles draw, the first seeded, Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, had a complicated start that made them go down the first set by 5-7. Supported by a solid serve, they managed to score the second set by 6-2; in the super tie break they defeated the Australians Luke Saville and John-Patrick Smith 10-8. His rivals in the semifinals will be the French Pierre Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, this is their first participation in the tournament and they are only one match away from the final after defeating Benoit Paire and the Serbian Laslo Djere 6-4 and 6-1.

The brothers Neal and Ken Skupski needed three sets in order to defeat the champions of 2017 and 2018, the pair formed by Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, by 6-3,3-6,12-10. After defeating the second best-ranked pair of the tournament, the British will play against Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury for the ticket to the final.

Ram and Salisbury defeated the Latin couple formed by the Mexican Santiago González and the Brazilian Marcelo Demoliner 4-6,6-3,10-7.

The XXVIII edition of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC has been categorized for having strong young players, starting with the first two seeds: the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas and the German Alexander Zverev, ages 22 and 23.

But besides these two players who are well known on the ATP circuit, there were also five young players who are in the Top 10 of the Next Generation: Felix Auger-Aliassime, (WC) Sebastian Korda, (Q) Lorenzo Musetti, (Q) Brandon Nakashima and (WC) Carlos Alcaraz; the last two were eliminated in the first round of AMT 2021.

This category was created by the ATP in order to provide support to all players under the age of 20. At the end of each season, the top eight compete for the long-awaited Next Gen title.

Next Gen’s #1 is the 20-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 18) who defeated the American Sebastian Korda (No. 92), fourth in the junior ranking, and reached the quarterfinals in Acapulco for the first time.

Aliassime wants to make the most out of this year since it’s his last Next-Gen to get his first title on the circuit. So far, he has played seven finals but hasn’t been able to win one. He reached five of those finals as a teenager, making him the first player to make five finals since Nadal in the 2004-2005 seasons.

“It’s my last year as a Next Gen player, it’s weird because I’m getting older every year, I’m the oldest in this category. There are many great players my age, but also great players like Carlos (Alcaraz) or Lorenzo (Musetti) who are 17 and 19 years old.”

It was precisely the second round where the Canadian defeated Korda. Aliassime took advantage of his rival’s constant mistakes and he was playing better than him since the beginning of the match.

In the second set, he broke in the seventh game, then took the lead 4-3 and shortly after that, he would surely win the match 6-3, 6-4 and get his ticket to the quarterfinals of the Abierto for the first time.

“I have proven that I can keep my mindset under control at important times, and I try to stay calm. I did well today because although Korda was playing better and better, I didn’t want him to get away,” Felix said.

Meanwhile, the Italian Lorenzo Musetti (No. 120), who defeated Diego Schwartzman in the first round, is another active player in the tournament.

The 19-year-old Italian, sixth in Next Gen’s ranking, demonstrated his mental strength by taking control of the match in an incredible way against the American Frances Tiafoe, and he managed to win after three sets of 2-6, 6-3, 7-6.   

The 19-year-old Italian was 5-0 down after 21 minutes of the match, it looked like the night would end fast when Tiafoe won the first set 6-2.

Musetti, who comes from the qualifying tournament and is still recovering from the strenuous match yesterday, was forced to deal with his fatigue but he overcame that, and he managed to tie the match winning the second set 6-3.

Tiafoe, 23 years old, broke at the start of the final set and the score quickly went up 3-0. However, Musetti was not willing to let go of any opportunity and he played a great match in order to extend the set and define the tie-break match. The young man could not hold back his tears after his great battle.

“It was a very complicated match; every point was a struggle and when it ended, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I went and hugged my coach Simone Tartarini because I wanted to share this victory with him, he is like a second father to me”.

Musetti, #120 in the ranking, continues to live a dream in Acapulco and will seek to continue surprising everyone in the quarterfinals, where he will face the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. Thanks to his great attitude, he is beginning to attract the attention of other players such as the German Alexander Zverev.

“I am no longer the new generation. Although I’ve been there for 3 years, now we can get to know new young players like Musetti and Alcaraz. It’s important for the sport to make everyone see how the new generations are starting to gain strength,” said Sasha, surprised by the way the Italian has advanced in the tournament after entering through the qualifying rounds. Without a doubt, these young players have left their mark in Acapulco. From Carlos Alcaráz and the amazing match against Zverev; Sebastian Korda surprising Marin Cilic in the first round; Brandon Nakashima who had a great qualifying tournament; Lorenzo Musetti who has fought against all odds in order to advance in the tournament; all the way to Felix Auger-Aliassime who, in his short 20 years, is still struggling to raise the trophy.

The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (No.5) continues to provethat he has a very high tennis level in this XXVIII edition of the tournament. The Greek only needed  57 minutes to defeat the American John Isner 6-3 and 6-2, securing his ticket to the quarterfinals where he will face the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 18).

Unlike the four previous matches between the Greek and the American, this time there was no tie break. Before their match in Acapulco, they had played 9 sets, 7 of which were sudden-death.

“Today’s score was better than I expected, I tried to keep my game simple without forgetting to win. I need luck tomorrow, it will be a complicated match”, said Tsitsipas.

The Canadian Felix Auger-Alissime (No. 18), number 1 of the Next Gen, defeated the American Sebastian Korda (No. 92), who is ranked number four among the best junior players in the ATP, in a match that lasted an hour with thirty-seven minutes.

Their experience was important in this match, the Canadian player (who has more matches in the ATP circuit) had a score of 3-0 in the first set in less than 15 minutes from the beginning of the match, that was enough for him to finish the match in 51 minutes with a score of 6-3.

The only wild card still active in the tournament seemed to have found his rhythm in the fourth game, breaking the Canadian’s serve, but that did not discourage Auger-Aliassime who with his serve, defeated his opponent and finished the match 6-3 and 6-4.

When he turned to the Mextenis Stadium’s public, he wore the Mexican National Team jersey as a thank you for the support he has received, also recognizing that it was an extra motivation to win.

His rival for the quarterfinal will be the first seeded, Stefanos Tsitsipas, with whom he expects a great match.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev (No. 7) defeated the Serbian Laslo Djere (No. 57), reaching the quarterfinals of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC for the third time. After a complicated start, where he was 3-1 below the score, he managed to recover and won 5 of the last 6 games of the first set, finishing it 6-4.

In the seventh game, the number 7 of the ATP broke the Serbian’s serve, an advantage that he did not let go in order to access the next round where now he will face the Norwegian Casper Ruud (No. 25), who defeated the Dutch Tallon Griekspoor (No. 154) 4-6,6-3 and 7-6 (3).

The German Dominik Koepfer (No.71) defeated Milos Raonic (No. 15) 6-4 and 6-2 by taking advantage of his rival’s mistakes. The German will face the British Cameron Norrie (No. 63) who defeated the Italian Fabio Fognini (No. 17) 6-4 and 6-3.

The most exciting match of the day was the one played by Frances Tiafoe (No.64) and Lorenzo Musetti (No. 120). After being tied until the third set, the Italian, who came from the qualifying round, managed to get a score of 3-0 in order to bring the match into a tie break, where he defeated his opponent 2-6,6-3 and 7-6 (1) in 2 hours and 43 minutes.

Grigor Dimitrov (No. 17) will be Musetti’s rival and he will seek his way into the semifinals. The champion of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC of 2014 defeated, in less than ninety minutes, the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic (No. 38) 6-4 and 6-2.

In the doubles round we had four matches where the French Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut defeated the pair formed by the South African Raven Klaasen and the Japanese Ben McLachlan with a double 6-4. France’s Benoit Paire and Serbia’s Laslo Djere will be their quarterfinals rivals after they defeated the American Austin Krajicek and the Croatian Franko Skugor 2-6, 6-3, 10-6. The Mexican Santiago González, together with the Brazilian Marcelo Demoliner, debuted in front of the pair formed by the German Dominik Koepfer and the New Zealander Artem Sitak, where they won 7-5,4-6 ,1-0 (8). In the quarterfinals, they will face the duo formed by the American Rajeev Ram and the British Joe Salisbury. The American and the British defeated Grigor Dimitrov and Tommy Paul 6-4,3-6,1-0(8).