Pegula holds her ground against Kessler to claim the title in Austin

Jessica Pegula, world No. 4, won the Austin tournament this Sunday after defeating her compatriot McCartney Kessler in the final (7-5, 6-2).

The match was somewhat disjointed, with a first set featuring numerous breaks (five in total). In this game, it was Pegula who ultimately managed to take control of the match, winning five games in a row, from 2-4 to 7-5.

Despite an early break for Kessler in the second set, the world No. 4 quickly corrected course and achieved a double break to lead 4-1. From there, she did not falter, closing out the final on her first match point.

This marks Pegula's seventh career title and her first since her victory at the WTA 1000 in Toronto last season.

Kessler, who was playing in her third career WTA final (after her titles in Hobart and Cleveland), will move up to 48th in the WTA rankings on Monday.