Unseeded Pauline Parmentier of France, playing her first WTA Tour final, handled her nerves much better than top seed Victoria Azarenka and scored a stunning upset in the final of the Tashkent Open on Sunday.
Parmentier, 21, defeated the 18-year old Azarenka of Belarus 7-5, 6-2 in 89 minutes to win her first WTA Tour title.
Azarenka was also chasing her first WTA Tour title. It was her second Tour final and she had lost in her only other final appearance, in Estoril earlier this year.
Parmentier collected the winner's cheque of USD 21,165 while Azarenka got USD 11,395.
"It's been a wonderful week for me," said Parmentier afterwards. "I myself don't understand how I played so well."
The best moment of the match came from Parmentier, in the eighth game of the first set. Parmentier's first serve was called out but the chair umpire overruled and gave her the point. But the French girl felt the ball was out and said she would replay the point, a sporting gesture which was acknowledged gratefully by Azarenka.
It was the gesture of a champion, and Parmentier didn't let the fact that she dropped serve at love in the game prevent from coming back to win the match.
Asked about it later, Parmentier said: "I cannot take that point, it was out so much [indicating 15 cm with her hand]."
As much as Parmentier deserved her win, given her fine run in reaching the final, including an opening-round win over number two seed Dominika Cibulkova, it was Azarenka's match to lose.
One of the most impressive young players in the WTA Tour, Azarenka was a heavy favourite to win. She's ranked 35 to Parmentier's 87 and has had a string of good wins this year. Parmentier, on the other hand, had never got past the second round of any tournament.
Both players were understandably nervous in the beginning and there were errors all around in the first few games. In fact, through the match, the quality of tennis was scrappy. Neither served with any consistency: each had seven double faults. And, though Parmentier had six aces, all in the first set, she never looked as effective as she had in earlier rounds.
It appeared the Belarus girl had steadied herself quicker. After a series of breaks, she served for the first set at 5-3 and had three setpoints. Each time, she tried too hard to go for the winner and missed the lines and Parmentier not just broke back, but won four games on the trot to take the set.
Azarenka still wasn't out of it. She broke Parmentier in the second game of the second set to go 2-0 up and then suddenly went into a slump from which she never recovered. It was tragic to see her getting more and more frustrated as double-faults and errors just flew from her racket. She didn't win another game.
To Parmentier's credit, she kept her composure even she though was playing way below her best. She saved breakpoint in the sixth game and then needed three matchpoints to settle it, hitting a backhand crosscourt winner which left Azarenka stranded.
"At 5-3 down in the first set, I told myself, take heart, take some chances," said Parmentier. "When I won the first set, I told myself, 'C'mon, you can do it.' And I'm very glad I did it."
A bitterly disappointed Azarenka said later: "She [Parmentier] played very well this week, her best tennis this week, and was very consistent. But I didn't take my chances today. I lost focus."
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