Juan Martin del Potro’s fantastic run at the Acapulco Open continued on Friday as the 2009 US Open champion defeated 2nd seed Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-2 to reach the final.
Del Potro broke in the third game of the match before winning the first set. He then mirrored this with a second break in the next set. As Zverev’s challenge faltered late on, del Potro added some gloss to the scoreline by adding yet another break.
Zverev had parted ways with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in acrimonious circumstances before the tournament, but still reached the semi-finals in Mexico.
The Argentine will face the in-form Kevin Anderson after the South African edged young American Jared Donaldson 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Anderson came back from seemed like a strong position in a Donaldson service game, 40-15 for the American, to win five of the next six points to break serve.
Donaldson survived five break points in the first game of the second before three breaks at the end of the set. Donaldson was the player on the right side of those numbers, and he won the set.
The American was unable to build on the strong end to the second however, losing serve immediately in the third set. Anderson saved two break points holding for 4-2 before breaking again to win the set with a double break.
Del Potro holds a commanding 6-0 lead in the head-to-head with Kevin Anderson, with Anderson only managing to earn two sets from the Argentine across those meetings.
Argentina could have ATP 500 event winners in consecutive weeks should del Potro win in Acapulco. He would join compatriot Diego Schwartzman, who won in Rio de Janeiro last week.
