Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova admits it was a proud moment as she overcame world number one Angelique Kerber to win the WTA Monterrey Open on Sunday.
Pavlyuchenkova, 81.00 to win the French Open, started well and she produced the early running to make an early breakthrough.
She claimed the only break of the first set on her third set point but Kerber soon responded in the second set.
The German claimed the third game after a long battle to level the match before Pavlyuchenkova dug deep to eventually win 6-4 2-6 6-1 in Mexico. The pair had to compete in difficult conditions due to the heat and it was the second time Kerber has lost to Pavlyuchenkova in the tournament, with the Russian winning in 2013.
Pavlyuchenkova stormed into a 5-0 lead in the last set and she was overjoyed to secure the win in just under two hours.
“I’m really overwhelmed and don’t think I realised that I just won my fourth Monterrey trophy,” she said.
“It’s very special and it’s a special place in my heart. Playing against the number one player in the world is already very special because everyone wants to compete against the number one.
“You don’t get so many chances to do it, so it was one opportunity for me today. Beating her feels amazing.”
Elsewhere in the women’s game, Daria Kasatkina secured her first WTA title as she beat fellow 19-year-old Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 6-1 to win in Charleston.
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