MONTERREY, Mexico — Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova did it again, winning her fourth Abierto GNP Seguros title by beating top-seeded world number one Angelique Kerber 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, in Monterrey, Mexico on Sunday.
Germany's Kerber, who lost the Monterrey final to Pavlyuchenkova in 2013, was denied her first tournament title of the year in a see-saw victory by the Russian in stifling heat.
"I'm really overwhelmed and don't think I realized that I just won my fourth Monterrey trophy," second seed Pavlyuchenkova told reporters. "It's very special and it's a special place in my heart.
"Playing against the No. 1 player in the world is already very special because everyone wants to compete against the No. 1. You don't get so many chances to do it, so it was one opportunity for me today. Beating her feels amazing."
Pavlyuchenkova seized the early advantage in the match, taking the only break of the first set on her third set point. Kerber won a long third game to break serve in the second set and rode that momentum to level the match.
Pavyluchenkova, who reached quarters at both the Australian Open and BNP Paribas Open this year, raced to a 5-0 lead in the final set and served out to claim her ninth career title in just under two hours.
The Russian was the clear aggressor, cracking 49 winners to 31 unforced errors while Kerber registered only 14 outright winners in the final.
Kasatkina captures first WTA title at Charleston
Russia's Daria Kasatkina came up trumps in her first WTA final on Sunday, breezing past fellow 19-year-old Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-1 to claim a maiden title in Charleston.
"It's very difficult to describe my feeling now," Kasatkina said. "I feel I'm just sleeping and everything is not real. I'm so happy."
In the first all-teen WTA final since 2009, Kasatkina's consistency paid off. She belted just seven winners to her Latvian opponent's 25, but she also made just seven unforced errors to Ostapenko's 38.
They traded breaks early in the opening set, Ostapenko leveling the set at 3-3 before Kasatkina ruthlessly pulled away to win in just 66 minutes.
"Yesterday evening and all night I couldn't sleep," Kasatkina said. "I woke up during the whole night like two or three times. I was so nervous, you cannot imagine. I was feeling like, I want to just go on the court and everything let's finish, play. I cannot (stand) feeling this anymore. But now it was worth it."
The two players have a long history in the junior ranks, but had met just once before at the WTA level, when Ostapenko triumphed last year at Eastbourne.
Kasatkina, whose victory underscores her rising-star status already established with two wins over world No. 1 Kerber this year, became the sixth teenager to lift the Charleston trophy — a list that also includes Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis and Sabine Lisicki.
Former No. 1 Azarenka returns to WTA Tour
Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka plans to return to the WTA Tour for the Bank of the West Classic this summer.
The 27-year-old Azarenka stepped away from the game last year after she became pregnant. Her son, Leo, was born in December.
Azarenka, from Belarus, won the Australian Open in 2012 and '13 and lost the US Open final to Serena Williams in three sets both years. She will be making her fifth appearance at Stanford, winning the singles title in 2010. — Agencies
