Peyton Stearns and Cristina Bucsa Lift WTA Titles in Austin and Merida

By Eppe Franklyne

• Stearns wins Austin Open, defeats Taylor Townsend
• Bucsa claims first WTA title in Merida over Magdalena Frech
• Both players continue strong form on hardcourts

Hometown favourite Peyton Stearns battled past Taylor Townsend 7-6 (10/8), 7-5 on Sunday to capture her second WTA title at the Austin Open in Texas. The fourth-seeded Stearns, who played two years at the University of Texas at Austin, needed two hours and 22 minutes to overcome Townsend, a former doubles world number one in her first WTA singles final.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Cristina Bucsa secured her first WTA title in Merida, Mexico, defeating Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Ranked 63rd, Bucsa reached the final without dropping a set and bounced back from mid-match setbacks to seal the victory with a strong finish in the third set.