Two-time champ Mertens reaches fourth Hobart final; to face Kessler

No.2 seed Elise Mertens

View Profile ' love affair with the Hobart International continued as the two-time champion returned to the final for a fourth time, dismissing 18-year-old wild card Maya Joint

View Profile 6-2, 6-3 in 1 hour and 19 minutes.

Hobart: Scores | Draws | Order of play

Saturday's title match will be Mertens' 14th career Hologic WTA Tour final, and she will take on the unseeded American McCartney Kessler for the first time. Kessler, who captured her maiden title in Cleveland last August, came from 4-2 down in the third set to defeat No.6 seed Elina Avanesyan

View Profile 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and reach her second tour-level final.

Mertens now owns a 22-3 record in Hobart, the site of her own maiden WTA trophy back in 2017 when the Belgian was a qualifier ranked No.127. She successfully defended the title in 2018, and ultimately won her first 14 matches here after reaching the 2020 quarterfinals. Last year, Mertens reached the final for a third time, but fell 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 to Emma Navarro

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Australian teenager Joint had not dropped a set en route to her first WTA semifinal, including a 6-1, 6-1 rout of No.4 seed Magda Linette

View Profile in the second round to notch her first Top 50 win. But the experienced Mertens was able to blunt Joint's power while protecting her own side of the court. Following an opening exchange of breaks, Mertens faced - and saved -- just one more break point in the contest.

The key game in the second set for the 29-year-old came as Joint served at 3-3, 40-0. Mertens knocked off two clean backhand winners, went on to steal the service break, and did not lose another game.