MASON, Ohio — The match finished at 1:04 a.m., at least 90 minutes after it was supposed to end, because of a rain delay and a long three-setter that happened beforehand. Center court was so empty that one could hear individual fans cheering her name. But none of that mattered for hometown hero Caty McNally, who emerged victorious in her Cincinnati Open revenge match. McNally, a native of Madeira, took down fellow American McCartney Kessler in a 6-3, 6-4 first round victory that began on Thursday, Aug. 13 but continued into the early hours of Friday. "I tried to keep my energy up," McNally said. "That was the biggest thing: Try not to let other people's energy affect mine, and really try to bring that energy within me." Just a year prior, Kessler had eliminated McNally from her home tournament in the second round. The two players faced each other Thursday for the first time in singles since last August in Mason. When McNally saw Kessler's name in the draw, she knew she needed to make adjustments.
The 2026 version of McNally wanted to be aggressive on the ball, but she also shined with her baseline defense — keeping up with Kessler in several long rallies while sliding on the hard court to make shots. She also enhanced her game with slices and standout points at the net. "I'm really happy with the way I was just able to mix it up and try to play on my terms and make her as uncomfortable as possible," McNally said. With a first-round win in the books, McNally now awaits No. 18 seeded Anna Kalinskaya in the second round. Caty McNally shines in straight-set victory Kessler and McNally kicked off the match with three straightforward holds, giving up just a combined two points on serve. However, McNally began to struggle on her first serve in the fourth game and hit several balls into the net, giving Kessler the first break point chance of the match. Kessler couldn't capitalize, bringing the score to 2-2. The serving woes then hit Kessler, who served up two double faults in the subsequent game and gave McNally four break points of her own. But unlike her competitor earlier, McNally was able to get the job done after a long deuce and advantage back-and-forth to take an early 3-2 lead. McNally continued that momentum throughout the rest of the set, showing off her slices and mobility behind the baseline to break Kessler a second time and capture the first set 6-3. The women combined for six double faults in the first set, but McNally was more dominant while her serve was at her best, recording a 83% first serve win percentage. Kessler got her break to open the second set, as McNally won just one point in her opening service game and double faulted on break point. However, McNally broke back in the next game to even the score line. The hometown favorite had two chances to take the lead against Kessler on Kessler's next service game, but Kessler forced several of McNally's shots out to hold. After a long service win, McNally produced a standout net game to break Kessler a second time and take a 4-2 lead, which included a point with both a drop shot and a passing volley. The two players traded holds toward the end of the set, but it wasn't quite over for Kessler. Kessler broke McNally while she tried serving the match, yelling in celebration as the second set went to 5-4. But McNally ultimately got the last laugh, beating Kessler's serve for the third time in the set. Kessler hit a shot wide on match point and McNally surived for a 6-3, 6-4 win. Embracing the Cincinnati Open crowd Though the audience watching McNally's match was small, they made their presence known. They cheered for her during big points, and chanted her name repeatedly during her post-match interview. After converting on match point, McNally held up a heart with her hands for her cheering crowd. For her, this support was not only just a kind gesture for a local star, but it was also personal. The WTA's No. 70 ranked player said she saw her old elementary school gym teacher and kids from Madeira in the crowd when she looked around the stadium. "It's cool to see the generations and the impact that Madeira and Cincinnati community has had on me," McNally said. "They've been so loving, so supporting through every single moment." This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati's Caty McNally kicks off home tournament with revenge win