Kessler upsets Haddad Maia for a maiden WTA your title

McCartney Kessler won her first championship on the Hologic WTA Tour, defeating top seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 1-6, 6-1, 7-5 in the Land final in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday.

The 25-year-old American lost seven of the first eight games of the match before mounting a remarkable comeback to secure her breakthrough title.

Kessler played collegiate tennis at the University of Florida and began this year ranked No.231. The 25-year-old American wild card came into Cleveland with just one tour-level win in her career, which she secured in January at the Australian Open.

Kessler proceeded to win five matches in Cleveland, ousting three of the Top 5 seeds along the way. En route to the WTA 250 title, Kessler defeated Katrina Scott, Wang Xinyu, Arantxa Rus and Anastasia Potapova before earning her first Top 25 win over Haddad Maia.

Playing on the heels of making her Top 100 debut two weeks ago and earning a US Open main-draw wild card, Kessler closed out the Cleveland title with yet another gritty three-set victory.

Three of Kessler’s four matches before the final went a full three sets and despite the heavy strapping around her upper right leg, Kessler was primed for another physical battle.

Kessler is set to face No.19 seed Marta Kostyuk in the first round of the US Open on Monday.