Mon Jan 13 09:10:00 UTC 2025: **American Tennis Star McCartney Kessler Wins Hobart International Title**
HOBART, Australia – McCartney Kessler of the United States secured her second career Hologic WTA Tour title on Saturday, defeating No. 2 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium in a thrilling three-set match, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, at the Hobart International. This was Kessler’s debut at the tournament.
The victory, achieved in two hours and three minutes, marks a significant milestone for the 25-year-old American, who only a year ago was ranked No. 207. Her meteoric rise includes a Top 100 debut and her first WTA title in Cleveland last year. This latest win puts her on the cusp of a Top 50 ranking.
Kessler dominated the first set with 15 winners, but Mertens, a two-time Hobart champion, fought back to win the second. However, Kessler’s aggressive groundstrokes proved too much in the final set, where she cruised to victory with a total of 44 winners.
Both Kessler and Mertens will now compete in the Australian Open. Kessler faces Zhang Shuai of China in the first round, while Mertens plays Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland.
In the doubles final, Jiang Xinyu of China and Wu Fang-hsien of Chinese Taipei won the title, defeating Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar 6-1, 7-6(6). This is Jiang’s fifth career WTA doubles title and Wu’s third.
**(Note: Information about Coco Gauff has been removed as it was duplicated and unrelated to the main Hobart International story.)**
First Piper 