Third-seeded Diana Shnaider edged Russian countrywoman and No. 2 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, to capture the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday.
Shnaider, 21 and ranked No. 22 in the world, won her first title of the 2025 season and her fifth overall. Her last championship run occurred at the 2024 Hong Kong Open in November, defeating Great Britain’s Katie Boulter in the final.
After splitting sets, Shnaider immediately broke Alexandrova to open the decider. She fended off two break points in her first service game of the set and never faced another one in her final four service games. The former N.C. State tennis standout won on her second match point attempt.
Shnaider got 72 percent of her first serves in during the third set and won 74 percent of those points.
Alexandrova started the day against Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic in the continuation of their semifinal that was postponed by rain on Friday. After resuming at 2-2 in the first set, Alexandrova took the first set 6-3 and Bouzkova retired after the set.
Shnaider is seeded 20th at the U.S. Open and takes on Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the first round, while 13th-seeded Alexandrova faces Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.
Tennis in the Land
In a battle of unseeded players, Romania’s Sorana Cirstea defeated Ann Li 6-2, 6-4 to capture the title in Cleveland, Ohio.
It is the third WTA title for Cirstea, 35, and her first since 2021, when she won in Istanbul.
Ranked No. 112 in the world, Cirstea broke Li in the fifth game of the opening set and, after saving a break point of her own in the next game, broke Li again. The 69th-ranked Li defended a pair of break points in the opening game of the second set but was broken at 15-40 in the third game.
The native of King of Prussia, Pa., boldly denied Cirstea on three match points before cutting her second-set deficit to 5-4. Li had two break-point chances in the following game but could not convert and the Romanian won the title on her fifth match point.
Cirstea was never broken in the match as she dominated on Li’s second serve, winning 16-of-26 points.
Cirstea takes on Solana Sierra of Argentina in the first round of the U.S. Open while Li takes on Rachel Sramkova of Slovakia.
–Field Level Media
