Niculescu claims win in bizarre fashion

Romanian tennis player Monica Niculescu claimed victory at the Guangzhou Open in the most bizarre fashion after her racquet slipped from her grasp during match point.

The world No.49 was battling little known Swedish player Rebecca Peterson in the round two clash when she reached match point on her opponent's serve.

But instead of claiming the win with a clean winner, the 27-year-old had to rely on an incredible slice of luck.

The final rally between the two combatants was 10 shots deep when Niculescu lost her grip on the racquet and inadvertently threw it across the court during a shot.

But despite being completely defenceless, the Romanian was able to raise her hands in triumph when Peterson could only dump her shot into the bottom of the net.

However, the 6-3, 6-2 victory was the final highlight of the tournament for Niculescu, who was defeated in the next round by Yanina Wickmayer.