If she gets the chance, Kimberly Birrell will reach out to thank the legendary Venus Williams for inadvertently giving her the opportunity to snap a 1462-day grand slam drought.
After a string of serious injuries in recent years, the plucky Queenslander had toyed with the prospect of calling time on her tennis career.
But all the hardship was worth it for glorious days like Tuesday, when Birrell hung tough in searing heat to oust part-time ice trucker and No.31 seed Kaia Kanepi in the opening round of the Australian Open.
The 24-year-old had been preparing to battle it out in the qualifying event at Melbourne Park last week before learning she had been gifted the wildcard originally set aside for Williams.
The former world No.1 opted to hand it back after suffering a leg injury in Auckland.
Kimberly Birrell serves. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
“I did speak to someone that’s friends with (Williams) and I asked if she was in Melbourne because I thought if I saw her in the locker room, I would mention to her that I was the one that ended up getting her spot and say thank you,” said Birrell, who is guaranteed to pocket at least $US110,000 ($A158,500) for advancing to the second round at Melbourne Park.
For the record, the 42-year-old Williams’ career prize money haul is a cool $US42,406,778 ($A61 million)
“She’s such a legend of our sport and I have so much respect for her and Serena and what they’ve done,” added Birrell.
“I also wanted to know if she was OK too, but I think she will be able to continue playing this year and be able to look after whatever injury she had.
“For her to not play here is just kind of just a small thing.
“But for me to get the chance to play in a major slam, especially as the money can be life-changing – I’m pretty grateful.”
Estonia’s Kanepi – a 37-year-old veteran of seven major quarter-finals – served for Tuesday’s match at 5-4 in the second set, but Birrell turned the encounter on its head to win 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1.
The Queenslander’s only two previous victories at grand slam level came during her run to the third round back at the 2019 Australian Open.
She was one of just two Australian women to advance to the second round at their home slam this year, joining fellow wildcard Olivia Gadecki, who beat Russian Polina Kudermetova on Monday.
Kanepi drives trucks in her native country in her spare time and for much of the deciding set on Tuesday she looked like she’d rather be back there – or anywhere else really – rather than slugging it out with Birrell under the blazing sun at Kia Arena.
Birrell’s second-round opponent will be Czech Linda Fruhvirtova, who beat fellow Australian wildcard Jaimee Fourlis 6-0 6-4 on Tuesday.
Countrywomen Storm Hunter and Talia Gibson were both eliminated on day one.
Australia’s highest-ranked female player Ajla Tomljanovic was forced to withdraw with a knee injury two days before the tournament began.
Heat stops play in afternoon
The extreme heat policy was enacted for the best part of three hours on a scorching day two of the Australian Open, with action suspended on the outside courts at Melbourne Park.
Play eventually resumed on all courts shortly after 1700 (AEDT) on a day when the temperature peaked at 37C.
Action continued throughout the break with the roof closed on Rod Laver Arena, John Cain Arena and Margaret Court Arena.
Before competition was halted early in the afternoon, players on the outside courts had resorted to applying ice packs and taking shelter under umbrellas in an attempt to avoid the worst of the conditions.
Kaia Kanepi, the 37-year-old No.31 seed from Estonia, was among those who visibly struggled in the conditions during a tough three-set loss to Australian Kimberly Birrell.
“I’m from the sunny Gold Coast (and) I’m used to the conditions and maybe she wouldn’t have been,” said Birrell. “I really like these conditions.
“I like feeling like I’m working hard and sweating and getting into the fight. I think that’s when I play some of my best tennis.”
Playing on RLA before the roof was closed, Belarusian fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka was relieved to have needed only 69 minutes to dispatch Czech Tereza Martincova 6-1 6-4 to reach the second round. “I definitely need to cool down,” Sabalenka said.
Garcia, Sabalenka into Open second round
Title forces Caroline Garcia and Aryna Sabalenka have wasted as little time as possible in the searing heat to surge into the Australian Open second round at Melbourne Park.
Two months after clashing in the elite season-ending championship final in Texas, Garcia and Sabalenka both won in straight sets in little more than an hour on court on Tuesday.
Fifth-seeded Sabalenka continued her unbeaten start to the year with a 6-1 6-4 dispatch of Czech Tereza Martincova in 69 minutes before Garcia crushed Canadian qualifier Katherine Sebox 6-3 6-0 in 65 minutes.
“I definitely need to cool down,” Sabalenka said as the mercury in Melbourne hit 33C. “It wasn’t an easy match and I’m super happy with the win.”
Yet to drop a set in five matches in 2023 after reigning at the Adelaide International, the Belarusian looms as a serious title challenger after reaching the semi-finals of the US Open in September on similarly fast hard courts.
But the 25-year-old is competing without the presence of her national flag at Melbourne Park after Tennis Australia on Tuesday banned Belarusian and Russian banners from the season-opening grand slam.
Russian and Belarusian players are only allowed to compete at the Open under a neutral banner following the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
“I really thought that like tennis – not tennis, just the sport – is nothing to do with politics,” Sabalenka said. “But if everyone feels better this way, then it’s okay. I mean, I have zero control on it. What can I say? They did it, okay, no flags, no flags. Okay.”
Sabalenka is waging her own battle to finally claim her maiden major after years carrying the tag of being one of the sport’s best players without a grand slam title.
Runner-up to Garcia at the season-ending WTA Finals in November, Sabalenka plays American Shelby Rogers in the second round on Thursday.
Fourth-seeded Garcia will face Canada’s 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez after continuing her amazing return to prominence.
The Frenchwoman was ranked 70th when she lost in the first round last year in Melbourne to world No.165 Hailey Baptiste.
“First round of the first slam of the year, I was not really expecting to come here as the No.4 seed so I’m very grateful to play on RLA – it’s my first win here so I’m very happy,” she said.
“We always say that things can go very quickly.”
In other early matches on day two, Belgian 26th seed Elise Mertens wore down 2020 runner-up and former world No.1 Garbine Muguruza 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-1.
Rublev, Dimitrov into second round
Fifth seed Andrey Rublev has eliminated former finalist Dominic Thiem to be the first big name through to the Australian Open second round on day two at Melbourne Park.
Rublev overcame intense heat to defeat Thiem, the 2020 runner-up to Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-4 6-2 in two hours, 10 minutes on John Cain Arena.
Thiem is on the comeback trail after a long recovery from wrist surgery but Rublev was still relieved to progress on Tuesday.
“I know that (Dominic’s) not going through an easy time so I want to wish him all the best to come back on the level that he belongs,” Rublev said.
A six-time grand slam quarter-finalist eager to take the next step at a major, 25-year-old Rublev will face either Australian qualifier Max Purcell or Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori on Thursday.
In other early matches on Tuesday, 27th seed Grigor Dimitrov beat Aslan Karatsev 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 6-2 in a battle of two former Open semi-finalists.
Five-time finalist Andy Murray plays 2022 semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini in another feature match, while former world No.2 Alexander Zverev is also in action on day two.
Nine-times champion Novak Djokovic plays Roberto Carballes Baena on Tuesday night before second seed Casper Ruud meets Czech Tomas Machac.
Russian flag waved despite ban
Spectators have been captured flouting Tennis Australia’s new ban on Russian and Belarusian flags being displayed at the Australian Open.
TA had initially permitted spectators to bring Russian and Belarusian banners to Melbourne Park, as long as they did not cause disruption.
But the policy was reversed on Tuesday morning after a Russian flag was prominently displayed courtside during a match involving Ukrainian player Kateryna Baindl.
Just hours after the ban was implemented, a Russian flag was hoisted by fans during the match between Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev and Austrian Dominic Thiem on John Cain Arena.
“A banned flag was waved by spectators during a match at JCA on Tuesday,” a TA spokesperson told AAP.
“The patrons were spoken to by security and the flag was removed.”
The appearance of a Russian flag during Baindl’s three-set match against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova on Monday drew condemnation on social media from Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko.
Russian and Belarusian players are allowed to compete at the first grand slam tournament of 2023, but must do so under a neutral banner.
They were banned by the All England club from participating at Wimbledon last year in reaction to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Russia is Belarus’ largest and most important economic and political partner. “Flags from Russia and Belarus are banned onsite at the Australian Open,” TA said in a statement. “Our initial policy was that fans could bring them in but could not use them to cause disruption.
“Yesterday we had an incident where a flag was placed courtside. The ban will be effective immediately.
“We will continue to work with the players and our fans to ensure that this is the best possible environment to enjoy the tennis.”
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