French Open - 'Wow, strange!' - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 'doesn't even chase' ball against Barbora Krejcikova

ByDan Quarrell

Updated 12/06/2021 at 13:56 GMT

With Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova taking on Barbora Krejcikova in the final of the French Open the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier knew they would witness the crowning of a new Grand Slam champion on Saturday. There were plenty of understandable nerves early on with the pair, and one point was particularly strange as Pavlyuchenkova left a ball which dropped in from Krejcikova.

There was a strange point early on in the women's final at the French Open as Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova left a ball which dropped in from Barbora Krejcikova.

Neither Pavlyuchenkova nor Krejcikova had experience of playing in a Grand Slam final prior to this tournament and it was always going to be intriguing to see how each would handle the huge occasion at Roland Garros.

Understandably, there were plenty of nerves early on with the pair, and one point was particularly strange as Pavlyuchenkova left a ball which dropped in from Krejcikova.

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In an extended and very tense deuce in just the second game of the match, the Russian totally misjudged a very bizarre scooped shot from Krejcikova which, to be fair, had a very unusual trajectory.

It certainly did not look like a conventional lob, but the Czech player somehow managed to retrieve a fine shot from Pavlyuchenkova, which was right in the corner of the court, flick it and get the ball to dip over her opponent's head and land in.

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Pavlyuchenkova was not alone in looking totally stunned by the effort - so much so, she did not even turn and run after the ball as it dropped over her head.

Eurosport commentators Chris Bradnam and Jo Durie, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 1983, were left equally baffled by the whole situation.

"It's in! Pavlyuchenkova was so convinced it was going out, she didn't even chase it!" Bradnam said in shock. "Wow!"

Durie added: "That is strange! Krejcikova only just got to the ball as well.

"Well, they will both be relieved they have got a game on the scoreboard, at least."

Pavlyuchenkova, who had broken Krejcikova in the opening game of the match, essentially handed her opponent back the break of serve by not running for the ball, but she must simply have been too surprised to anticipate it.

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Watch all the action from the 2021 French Open live on Eurosport, eurosport.co.uk and the Eurosport app with world number one Novak Djokovic facing Stefanos Tsitsipas in the men's final and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova taking on Barbora Krejcikova in the women's final.

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