By Erik Gudris | Sunday, February 2, 2014

 

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova completed a standout week by beating three top 10 players, including Sara Errani, to win the Paris Indoors title.

Photo Credit: Christopher Levy

After surviving being a set and almost a double break down, Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova finished the week on a winning note by claiming the Open GDF SUEZ title in Paris.

Standing in her way was No. 3 seed Sara Errani who again found herself in the finals of the Premier WTA event for a second year in a row. At the start of the first set, the match was all about Pavlyuchenkova though who struck eight winners and six unforced errors in just three games.

That was enough to give the Russian an early 3-1 lead. But as more errors began to fly off of Pavlyuchenkova's racquet, Errani took advantage.

Despite Pavlyuchenkova saving two set points, it was a clever drop volley from Errani on her third set point that sealed it for her 6-3.

Pavlyuchenkova, having beaten two top 10 players earlier in the week, including Angelique Kerber and Maria Sharapova, once again found herself facing the prospect of playing yet another three set match. The Russian needed three sets in all of her previous rounds, but managed to find a way to get through each.

That didn't look likely at the start of the second set as Errani continued her momentum. Pavlyuchenkova found herself a point away from being down a double break. After holding serve, the Russian found her power game at the right time. Unloading on a forehand return, Pavlyuchenkova broke back for 2-all. She then struck another forehand winner a few games later to go up 4-2.

Reeling off six games in a row, Pavlyuchenkova claimed the set 6-2 to force a decider.

The momentum swings didn't stop there even after Pavlyuchenkova fired off an ace to hold serve at love to start the final set. Errani cleaned up her game and didn't hit an unforced error as she soon bolted out to a 3-1 lead. Pavlyuchenkova responded in time by finally forcing errors from the Italian.

Leveling the set at 3-all, Pavlyuchenkova made an unbelievable running get for an Errani drop shot and hit a drop winner of her own. From there, Pavlyuchenkova fired off winner after winner. Soon enough, the Russian was a game away from the biggest title of her career.

Pavlyuchenkova then closed out the match in style. First with a running backhand pass to set up match point, and then with one final forehand winner to clinch the 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win.

The Russian hit 48 winners and 33 unforced errors compared to just 18 winners and 16 unforced errors for Errani.

Paris is now the first WTA Premier title for Pavlyuchenkova and sixth career WTA singles title overall.