Almagro wins second successive Acapulco title

Spaniard Nicolas Almagro won the Acapulco International title for the second year in a row when he beat Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-4 6-4 in the final on Saturday.

Almagro, seeded fourth and ranked 21st in the world, overcame the second seed in an hour and 16 minutes to claim the fifth ATP title of his career.

Almagro swept to a 5-1 lead with breaks in the third and fifth games.

Monfils saved two set points on his serve at 1-5 and broke in the next game but Almagro served out the first set.

Almagro broke again in the opening game and coasted home, Monfils never managing another break point.

"I think the key to the match was my serve," Almagro told reporters.

"My mind has also been strong this week and helped me overcome my issues with my shoulder which I've been battling these past few weeks. This has helped me gain the self confidence I needed after six tough months of injury last year."

World number 10 Monfils was disappointed with his performance.

"When I get to the final I have a hard time," he said. "Today in particular I didn't handle it well. I wasn't aggressive enough but it's something I will work on and hopefully get better at.