Emma Navarro defeated Elise Mertens in the Hobart International final to win her first WTA circuit title, giving herself a significant boost before her Australian Open debut. The score was 6-1 4-6 7-5. In her first tour final, the 22-year-old American overwhelmed her top-seeded Belgian opponent right away. Her powerful groundstrokes helped her win on both sides and quickly end the opening set. After winning back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018, Mertens was determined to grab a third title in Hobart. In a tighter second set, he stormed back as the windy Tasmanian made serving difficult.
The semifinalist from the 2018 Australian Open came back from a 40-0 deficit to hold for 5-4 and then used the eighth break of serve in the set to even the match at 1-1.
In a gripping final set, the tit-for-tat service breaks persisted until Navarro took the lead at 6-5 and managed to calm herself down to seal the victory with a powerful forehand down the line.