McCartney Kessler claimed her first grass-court WTA Tour title with a 6-4 7-5 win over Dayana Yastremska in a rain-affected Nottingham Open final.
The American, 25, was on the cusp of taking the first set – leading 5-4 with a break – when the covers were pulled across the court.
Once play resumed after a lengthy delay, Kessler picked up from where she left off as she wrapped up the opening set before getting a break in the seventh game of the second that looked to have her on course to take the match.
But Ukraine’s Yastremska, seeking her first WTA title since 2019, battled back, saving five match points before then breaking Kessler’s serve to level matters in the second set.
However, Kessler kept her cool to immediately regain the advantage, breaking Yastremska once more before serving to seal the title.
It was an impressive achievement by Kessler, especially as she had only recorded her first career grass-court win the week before at Queen’s.
