By Chris Oddo | Sunday October 15, 2017
Torrential rains and a gritty opponent could not keep Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova from acquiring her 11th career title and third of the season. At 1 A.M.on Monday morning the 26-year-old Russian put the finishing touches on a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Daria Gavrilova.
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The match was delayed at the start and intermittently throughout, which might explain the choppiness and momentum shifts. The pair combined for 102 unforced errors—62 for Pavlyuchenkova and 40 for Gavrilova—as well.
"It was not easy mentally, as this morning we were not sure if we were going to play or not, and then last night they said we are," Pavlyuchenkova continued. "But it’s the final day, so I knew there is just one match today, so I gave everything I had out there."
The Russian was given a stern test by Gavrilova, who saved two championship points to break for 5-all in the third set then broke again to level and force a deciding-set tiebreaker.
Eight consecutive breaks in all took the pair into the tiebreaker, but it was Pavlyuchenkova who saved her best for last. She won the final six points of the tiebreaker after falling behind 3-1, converting a third championship point after her forehand down-the-line forced an error from Gavrilova.
Afterwards the pair exchanged in a long embrace at the net—appreciation for a job well done.