Iva Jovic returned to Guadalajara and retained her crown, defeating fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday night to capture her second WTA Tour title.
- Jovic and Stearns held serve through the opening eight games, with no break points created on either side.
- The second-seeded Jovic made the first decisive move in the ninth game, breaking for a 5-4 lead before serving out the set after 46 minutes.
- She carried that momentum into the second set, breaking immediately and holding for 2-0 as her winning streak reached five games.
- Jovic broke again to move ahead 5-2, then converted her third championship point with a backhand winner down the line.
Jovic completes another flawless Guadalajara run
The 6-4, 6-2 final lasted 1 hour and 26 minutes and completed a week in which Jovic did not surrender a set.
It was a familiar setting for the American. A year earlier, at age 17, she had lifted her first WTA Tour trophy in Guadalajara. This time, she left with the title again, having successfully defended the championship against Stearns in an all-American final.
Jovic’s aggressive return game separated the players after an even start. Once she secured the late break in the first set, Stearns was unable to halt the No. 2 seed’s charge, as Jovic took control early in the second and never allowed the match back onto level terms.
