America's McCartney Kessler became the 29th Hobart International champion earlier this afternoon, rising 21 places to a career-high world No.46.
The 25-year-old had only dropped one set in Tasmania this week en route to the final, and that trend continued as she grabbed the opening set against Belgium's Elise Mertens.
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Despite Mertens' second serve letting her down, registering 33 per cent of second serve points won, her experience helped dig deep in critical moments to send the final into a decider.
Mertens, a back-to-back Hobart champion in 2017 and 2018, was searching for her third title at the WTA 250 event.
Over the off-season, she also formed a new doubles partnership with Australia's Ellen Perez.
However, the 29-year-old ultimately ran out of steam in the final set, conceding six straight games to hand Kessler a memorable 6-4 3-6 6-0 victory.
"I want to start by saying congratulations to Elise on a great week. It's always tough playing a player as experienced and talented as her, so I'm happy to have been able to get the win today," Kessler said on court while holding the trophy.
For Kessler, it marks her second career WTA title.
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