Maddison Inglis has secured a hard-fought place in the second round of the Australian Open, marking only the second occasion in her professional career she has achieved this milestone. The victory came after an intense three-hour battle against her close friend and fellow Australian, Kimberly Birrell, in a match filled with emotional and competitive drama.
A Bittersweet Victory Between Lifelong Friends
Inglis, currently ranked world No.168, managed to overcome Birrell, who holds a significantly higher ranking at No.76, with a final scoreline of 7-6(6), 6-7(9), 6-4. The gripping contest saw two evenly matched players push each other to the limits, culminating in a heartfelt embrace at the net after exactly three hours of play. Inglis later confessed that facing such a good friend made the match exceptionally challenging.
"It's really really hard to play such a good friend. The last few days have been a bit stressful," Inglis revealed in her emotional on-court interview. "It's so tough. It was an amazing match with Kim and yeah I absolutely adore her so it was really hard to see her on the other side. But I'm stoked I could play through those feelings and be in the second round. It means the world."
A Rollercoaster Match of Momentum Swings
The opening set was tightly contested, with little separating the two players as Inglis matched Birrell's powerful hitting. A tiebreaker was required to decide the set, and after Birrell saved one set point, a crucial double fault gave Inglis the opportunity she needed. Inglis seized the moment, winning the next point to claim the set and carrying that momentum into the second.
Inglis raced to a commanding lead in the second set, winning four consecutive games. However, Birrell demonstrated her resilience by fighting back, winning the next two games and breaking Inglis when she served for the match at 5-3. With the set back on serve, another tiebreaker ensued.
Birrell initially dominated the tiebreaker, building a 5-2 lead, but a tumble that appeared to injure her right hand knuckles shifted the momentum. Inglis fought back valiantly, saving two set points, but just as in the first set, Birrell double-faulted at a critical 7-7 juncture. This time, however, Inglis could not capitalise, as Birrell saved two match points before forcing a deciding set with some impressive groundstrokes.
Decisive Break Seals Emotional Win
The final set mirrored the previous ones, with games going with serve until 4-4. Once again, Birrell's serve proved her undoing, as a pivotal double fault handed Inglis two break points. Inglis needed only one, breaking serve and then holding her nerve to serve out the match, securing her spot in the second round.
This victory extends a remarkable run for the 28-year-old Inglis, who came through qualifying with three wins, including two against seeded opponents. It also contributed to a successful day for Australian women at Melbourne Park, with wildcard Taylah Preston also advancing, bringing the total to six Aussie women in the second round.
Mixed Fortunes for Australian Contingent
While Inglis and Preston celebrated their wins, Australia's top-ranked women faced disappointment. Maya Joint, the No.30 seed and highest-ranked Australian woman, bowed out 6-4, 6-4 to Czech player Tereza Valentova. Daria Kasatkina, competing in her first Australian Open as an Australian citizen, also crashed out in a rollercoaster match, losing 7-6(7), 0-6, 6-3 to Nikola Bartunkova.
On the men's side, Australian qualifier Dane Sweeny claimed his first career win at a major with a hard-fought victory over veteran Gael Monfils, who was making his final Australian Open appearance. Sweeny battled to a 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4, 7-5 win. Wildcard James Duckworth also progressed after a marathon four-hour match, defeating lucky loser Dino Prizmic 7-6(4), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3. However, Chris O'Connell endured a heartbreaking loss, falling 4-6, 7-6(9), 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3 to American qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy.
Preston's Confidence-Boosting Victory
Taylah Preston, fresh from a career-best run at the Hobart International, held her nerve to defeat Chinese veteran Zhang Shuai 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in one hour and 33 minutes. This victory guarantees her a $225,000 prize for progressing to the second round. Just two weeks prior, Zhang had beaten Preston in three sets during Brisbane International qualifying, but Preston turned the tables on the grand stage, swinging freely from both wings.
"I dropped down a couple levels just to get my match count up, because I wasn't playing a lot, and that really helped," the 20-year-old West Australian explained. "I had a really good pre-season in Brisbane ... then last week in Hobart to be able to get a couple of really good wins under my belt really helped with my confidence leading into this week."
