Some of the world's top tennis stars are in Acapulco this week for the Mexican Open, but the glamour of the tournament has been tarnished by the Pacific resort city's brutally violent crime
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Some of the world's top tennis stars are in Acapulco this week for the Mexican Open, but the glamour of the tournament has been tarnished by the Pacific resort city's brutally violent crime. Famous in its heyday as a destination for Hollywood stars, from John Wayne to Sylvester Stallone, Acapulco has become more known in recent years as the scene of bloody turf wars between drug cartels.
City and state officials are trying to use the Mexican Open to fight back against that reputation, and the tournament has become a major drawcard: this year, five of the world's top 10 men's players came -- six if you count world number two Rafael Nadal, who had to pull out at the last minute because of injury. But even as the stars grace the stunning seaside court, soaking up the balmy weather and grinning for the cameras in giant mariachi hats, the authorities have been busy securing a series of gruesome crime scenes.
"I admit we have a security problem, like the entire country. But I can assure you the zone (around the stadium) is very safe, thanks to the deployment of the army and the police," Guerrero state Governor Hector Astudillo told AFP. A short drive from the palm-lined streets where the tournament is held, a more sordid reality blotches the postcard-perfect setting. On Wednesday, seven corpses were found around the city of 700,000 people, including two taxi drivers apparently murdered for refusing to pay extortion money.
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