Saturday was a busy day for McCartney Kessler at the Tennessee Valley Open Championships at the Manker Patten Tennis Club, and today will be another - just not as long as it could have been.
Kessler began her long Saturday on the courts by winning a singles semifinal over Kelly Poggensee-Wei of Lake Villa, Ill., 6-1, 6-2. The rising senior in an online program at Calhoun (Ga.) High School plays at 11 this morning against No. 2 seed Vivienne Kulicke of El Paso, Texas - and UTEP - for the women's open championship.
Moving to doubles in the afternoon, Kessler first teamed with Somer Henry of Franklin, Tenn., for a 6-0, 6-2 women's open semifinal win. They are scheduled to face Kulicke and another Texas resident, Kamilla Galieva, in that final at 1:30 p..m. today.
Kessler's last match of Saturday's TVOC semifinal rounds had her teaming up with a familiar face in open mixed doubles - her older brother. McClain Kessler is a rising junior at Florida, and he was 12-3 for the Gators in singles dual matches this year.
McClain was No. 67 in the ITA singles rankings at the beginning of the 2017 spring season.
As in McCartney's two women's divisions, the Kesslers were seeded No. 1 in mixed doubles, but they lost their semifinal to Kulicke and fellow El Paso resident Mario Urquidi, the third seeds. It was an extended match, ending 6-2, 6-7, 11-9.
The Kesslers didn't have much time to reconnect before beginning tournament play.
"When he got home from NCAAs is when we practiced together, so just like the last week," McCartney said.
The two hadn't even seen a court with the other on it in a tournament setting in nearly a year.
"We don't really get to play much (together), since there aren't any mixed doubles," McCartney said. "Last year (at the TVOC) was the last time we played together."
However, in a little over a year's time the two will be seeing more of each other as McCartney plans to join her brother in Gainesville after one more high school season. And his Gators success is one of several reasons she chose to continue her tennis career at Florida.
That impacted her decision "definitely a lot," McCartney said. "My whole family is Florida fans."
It also didn't hurt that the Florida women's team brought home a NCAA national championship trophy last month.
But for now she has a tournament to finish in Chattanooga, even with only two finals instead of three today.
"I'm looking forward to hanging out tonight, but I mean it's the same each day," McCartney said. "It's a really good tournament. I really like playing here."
Top seed Wil Spencer of Graham, N.C., beat McClain Kessler in the men's open singles semfinals and plays for the title at 9 this morning against fellow professional and No. 2 seed Catalin Gard of Roswell, Ga. Both played at Southeastern Conference schools, Spencer at Georgia and Gard at Mississippi.
Contact Tori McElhaney at sports@timesfreepress.com