Pavlyuchenkova beats Gavrilova in Hong Kong final

HONG KONG: Russian sixth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova claimed her third title of the year by beating seventh-seeded Australian Daria Gavrilova in the final of the Hong Kong Tennis Open on Sunday.

Pavlyuchenkova prevailed 5-7 6-3 7-6(3) in a match heavily disrupted by the weather.The final started later than scheduled due to a typhoon off the coast of Hong Kong and the players then had to endure a half-hour rain delay with the deciding set delicately poised at 5-5.

Pavlyuchenkova’s victory followed wins in Monterrey in April and Rabat in May.“It was not easy mentally as this morning we were not sure if we were going to play or not,” the 26-year-old said.“I just won a title so I’m extremely happy with that. It was a really, really tough match.”