Kessler delighted after Lexus Nottingham Open victory

South Wales Argus

6 days ago

Kessler defeated the Ukrainian 6-4 7-5 after a brief pause in play due to rain to add to an impressive résumé, with the title in Nottingham marking her fourth WTA tour success.
The result further adds to what has been a memorable month on grass for Kessler, with the American picking up her first-ever win on the surface the week prior at the LTA's HSBC Championships at Queen's when she downed Fran Jones en route to a second-round exit.
And having had a full taste of what the British grass court season has to offer, Kessler was delighted to add another jewel to her crown.
"I've always thought that I would enjoy playing on grass so it's nice and special to see that it's true and I had so much fun doing it,' said Kessler.
"We looked at the weather yesterday and knew it would be windy. That never means pretty tennis so I knew I had to stay within myself, play within the margins and hope that that would be enough.
"It's always reassuring to get to a final and win a title and I'm excited to get another one. I came short in the last tournament and I really wanted to win the match.
"It was obviously a tighter second set than I wanted but that made it more exciting and I got to play for longer in front of a crowd and it was super fun."
The American enjoyed the better start in the showpiece, opening up a 2-0 lead after following up an early break with a hold to love before play was suspended by rain.
Yastremska – seeking a first WTA title since 2019 – made the most of the reprieve to draw back level, only for Kessler to take back control and close out the set.
The American continued to impress and was primed to wrap up the contest when she led 5-4 in the second, only for Yastremska to save five match points before breaking Kessler's serve to tie the scores.
But that was as good as it got for the Ukrainian, with Kessler keeping her cool to see out a deserved success.
The women's singles and doubles finals on Sunday were the closing act of what has been an action-packed week in Nottingham, with champions in the men's disciplines crowned on Saturday.
In men's singles, second seed and former US Open champion Marin Cilic defeated Shintaro Mochizuki in straight sets 6-2 6-3 to ensure he arrives at Wimbledon in fine form.
He said: "It was a beautiful match – really high quality. Playing in the final is a huge achievement and Shintaro had a fantastic run during the week.
"For me, this win means a lot, and I can take this confidence of winning into Wimbledon."
And in the men's doubles, second seeds Austin Krajicek and Santiago Gonzalez got the better of third-seeded John-Patrick Smith and Fernando Romboli 7-6(2) 6-4.
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website