Venus wins Acapulco for 41st title

Top-seeded Venus Williams brushed aside defending champion Flavia Pennetta 6-1, 6-2 to win the women's title.

The 62-minute victory earned Williams her 41st career singles title and second in two weeks. She won in Dubai last weekend, where she became the only active player to win 40 titles.

Overall, Williams has won four of her last five tournaments, including last year's WTA Championships, and 20 of her last 21 matches. Making her debut on Acapulco's clay, she won three consecutive three-setters then lost only six games in her last two matches in extending her match-winning streak to 10.

"During the week I had very hard games, but luckily I produced my best game for my toughest opponent," Williams said.

She broke second-seeded Pennetta four times in the final and saved the only break point she faced.

"I served very well, and I knew if do then it's difficult to break me," Williams said. "So I just tried to hold my serve and wait for her to make mistakes."

Pennetta was playing in her sixth successive final in Acapulco, but has won only in 2005 and 2008. The Italian's tournament-best record dropped to 28-5.

"I hope to return next year and try and reach a seventh final," Pennetta said.

Nicolas Almagro of Spain downed second-seeded Gael Monfils of France 6-4, 6-4 to defend his Mexican Open title on Saturday.

Fourth-seeded Almagro, ranked 21st in the world, earned his fifth career title after beating 10-ranked Monfils in 1 hour, 16 minutes.

In their previous encounter, Monfils eliminated Almagro 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 in the third round of the Australian Open in January.

Almagro, 23, became the first man to successfully defend a Mexico Open title since Thomas Muster won four straight from 1993 to 96, when the tournament was held at Mexico City.

Almagro raced to a 5-1 lead in the first set with breaks in the third and fifth games, and Monfils was forced to save two set points. In the second set, Almagro broke in the opening game and held on for the match.

ACAPULCO, Mexico,AP