Third seed and rising Russian star Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova claimed the biggest title of her career when she beat leggy Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova to win the 2010 Monerrey Open being played here in the picturesque city of Monterrey, California.

However, the big prize didn't come so easily for the youngest player in the top 40 of the Sony Ericsson WTA tour. Pavlyuchenkova first battled past Anastasija Sevastova in the semifinals with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 scoreline and then survived a bad start to beat Hantuchova 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 for the title glory.

"After my first match, it was hard to concentrate again. I wasn't feeling the ball well and Daniela played a very solid first set," Pavlyuchenkova said. "I tried to understand her game and I started fighting. When you win a final it's hard to understand, you feel a lot of emotions. In a few days I will get it."

Hantuchova, who was awaiting the finalist since her semifinal victory on Saturday, admitted the mistakes she made despite the favourable conditions - "I played a solid first set with few mistakes, but then she started to play very aggressively with almost no mistakes. She really played unbelievable. I was always under pressure. Maybe after the first set she thought she had nothing to lose, then began playing better."