Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova came through a marathon encounter with Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova to win the WTA Strasbourg Open.

The world number 31 needed three hours and 35 minutes before winning 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (8-6).

Pavlyuchenkova came into the tournament having won only four matches on the WTA Tour all year.

She saved two match points at the end of the third set to force a tiebreak and get the better of her rival.

Cibulkova, a former world number four, has dropped down to 36 in the rankings.

She also saved two match points in the third-set tiebreak but a superb return from the Russian earned her a third match point and this time Cibulova’s forehand went narrowly wide to give the Russian victory and a boost ahead of the French Open.

Meanwhile, at the WTA event in Nuremberg, Sweden’s world number 97 Johanna Larsson claimed the title after beating American Alison Riske 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in the final.

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