Frech beats Gadecki to win Guadalajara Open title

Pole Magdalena Frech, the No 5 seed, beat Australian qualifier Olivia Gadecki 7-6 (5), 6-4 to lift the Guadalajara Open trophy at the Panamerican Tennis Center on Sunday night.

The first set was a tightly contested affair, with both women strong on serve. After 12 consecutive holds, the set was determined by a tiebreak. Frech gained the upper hand initially with a 4-2 lead, before Gadecki surged back to 5-4. However, three points in a row were enough for Frech to snatch the opening set.

In the very next game, Gadecki struck back with the first break of the match. Racing out to a 2-0, the Aussie looked to be finding her groove. However, as quickly as her renaissance began, it ended, with Frech breaking back to 3-3.

Gadecki wasn’t going down without a fight in her first Tour-level final, and after having her serve broken, the 22-year-old saved a championship point to break back and get the set back on serve at 5-4.

The comeback was short-lived, however, as Frech broke again in the 10th game of the second to bag her first-ever WTA 500 title.

“I just want to say that dreams do come true, for sure,” said Frech after the match.

“It’s my first WTA title and it’s really, really amazing. It’s an unbelievable feeling for sure. We keep going. Let’s win more.”

Frech, ranked No 43, defeated American Emina Bektas (6-4, 6-4), American Ashlyn Krueger (3-6, 6-3, 6-1), Canadian wildcard Marina Stakusic (6-4, 6-3) and Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, the No 4 seed (7-6 (4), 7-5) earlier in the tournament.

In the previous rounds of the Guadalajara tournament, Gadecki, ranked No 152, beat American Sloane Stephens (6-4, 6-3), American Danielle Collins, the second seed (6-3, 6-3), Italian Martina Trevisan (6-2, 3-6, 6-1) and Colombian Camila Osorio (6-2, 6-3).