Giorgi downs Peterson and claims her fourth title at the Merida Open

Camila Giorgi defeated Rebecca Peterson to become the first champion of the Merida Open Akron.

Camila Giorgi found some of her best tennis this week with victories over players like Mayar Sherif, Nuria Parrizas, Katerina Siniakova, and an impressive double-bagel victory over former US Open champion Sloane Stephens.

Rebecca Peterson was the surprise of the tournament, starting in the qualifying rounds with a win over Canadian player Carol Zhao. On her way to the final, she defeated Nadia Podoroska, fifth-seeded Alycia Parks, top-seeded Magda Linette, and had a tough match with American player Caty McNally in the semifinals.

The Swedish player intended to play deep shots to prevent Giorgi from taking control with her aggressive shots and tried to move her from side to side so she wouldn't hit comfortably. The Italian has one of the most powerful forehands on tour and struggled initially to find her footing to attack comfortably.

Peterson was up 5-3 in the first set but couldn't capitalize on the lead, and Giorgi tied things up to reach the tie-break, where she imposed her shots and was able to stand inside the court to connect several winners and take the first set 7-6(3) in a total of 66 minutes.

The 27-year-old Swede overpowered Giorgi in the second set, and in just 31 minutes, she took the set 6-1. The 31-year-old tennis player made 13 unforced errors during the set and only hit 4 winners, which helped Peterson take the lead.

The final set began with Peterson taking an early lead with a quick break that put her ahead 2-0, but Giorgi quickly regained her focus and capitalized on her opponent's errors to win six games in a row, securing her fourth title by 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-2.