Keys beats Pegula in Adelaide final, Kessler wins Hobart title

Four Americans competed in tour-level singles finals this weekend, with two emerging as champions to complete the perfect preparation for the Australian Open.

On Saturday, Madison Keys beat Jessica Pegula in an all-American Auckland final, while McCartney Kessler claimed her second career WTA title in Hobart. On the men's side, Sebastian Korda reached the Adelaide final but fell to Felix Auger-Aliassime, who edged Tommy Paul in the semis. In doubles action, Americans Rajeev Ram and Christian Harrison finished runners-up in Auckland.

Keys powers past Pegula for ninth title

Keys overcame an upper leg issue to defeat Pegula, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, hitting 36 winners and 10 aces in a blistering display of power tennis. The American fell behind 4-0 in the second set as she struggled with discomfort, but rediscovered top form after returning from a medical timeout with her left thigh wrapped.

“I think [after] the immediate kind of panic of, `Oh no, something is happening,’ I think I finally relaxed and was able to refocus on the match," she said of the issue. “In some ways it just made me kind of go for it a little bit more, and go after things a little bit quicker, which luckily they were going in.”

Pegula, who was a wedding guest when Keys married longtime partner Bjorn Fratangelo last fall, was full of praise for her friend and opponent: “You played some amazing tennis,” she said during the trophy ceremony, “hit the ball harder than anybody.”

Kessler's rise continues with Hobart title

Ranked outside the Top 200 one year ago, the 25-year-old Kessler is set to break into the Top 50 behind her Hobart triumph. Hitting 44 winners in the final, she beat secondseed Elise Mertens, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, to earn her second WTA title. The former University of Florida star also took out top seed Dayana Yastremska en route to the trophy.

Kessler made her WTA Tour debut in early 2024 and played her first major at last year's Australian Open. Her rapid ride in the past year has also been highlighted by her first WTA title in Cleveland, just before the 2024 US Open. She is now 2-0 in WTA finals.

After reaching the Aussie Open second round last year in her Grand Slam debut, the Florida native will open her upcoming Melbourne campaign against 2016 quarterfinalist Zhang Shuai.