Pegula Faces Kessler in All-American ATX Open Final

Austin, Texas — Top seed Jessica Pegula defeated Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday to advance to the finals of the WTA 250 ATX Open. The match, lasting just under two hours, sets up an all-American final against fifth seed McCartney Kessler on Sunday.

Pegula, currently ranked fourth in the world, is seeking her seventh career singles title and her first since winning the WTA 1000 event in Toronto last summer. This will be Pegula’s second final appearance of 2025 after being runner-up to Madison Keys in January at the Adelaide International.

After a dominant first set, Pegula faced stiffer competition from Tomljanovic, who managed to push through to win the second set. Tomljanovic, however, struggled with serve consistency, tallying seven double faults. Pegula swayed the momentum back in her favor in the deciding set, ultimately breaking Tomljanovic for the seventh time to lead 3-1.

“We were a little hit or miss with our serves today,” commented Pegula, reflecting on the match conditions. “It was pretty hot today, the ball was kind of flying, but once I started serving a little more consistent, smarter, that was the key.”

Pegula recorded a total of 31 winners and had 30 unforced errors throughout the match, highlighting her aggressive playing style. With this win, she has clinched a spot in her 16th career Hologic WTA Tour final.

In the other semifinal, McCartney Kessler defeated Belgium’s Greet Minnen 7-5, 6-4. Kessler, who has been on the rise in the rankings after starting the year outside the top 100, successfully rallied from losing early leads in both sets.

“I’m excited,” Kessler said about her final match on Sunday. “I’m excited to see what I can do in singles and in doubles. Hopefully, I can come home with two titles.”

Competing in her second final this year, Kessler is also vying for her third career title, having recently won the Hobart International. She has been gaining momentum after defeating world No. 3 Coco Gauff at the Dubai Duty Free Championships.

Kessler, who has been successful in both singles and doubles events this week, showed resilience by converting critical breaks in her semifinal, cementing her spot against Pegula with timely performance despite converting only 5 of 18 break points.

Both players have displayed powerful play throughout the tournament, making for an exciting matchup in Sunday’s final. “Every final is new,” Pegula emphasized, highlighting her aim to impress in front of a home crowd.

The highly anticipated final will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, with Pegula looking to secure her championship on U.S. soil.