Gritty Birrell finally conquers her first-round curse in New York.
Australian qualifier Kim Birrell finally conquered her US Open demons, battling through a rain-delayed marathon and saving a match point to secure her maiden first-round victory at Flushing Meadows in her fourth attempt.
The Queenslander outlasted Croatia’s Petra Marcinko 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, showcasing remarkable resilience after a restless 14-hour weather interruption tested her nerves.
Meanwhile, veteran James Duckworth continued his career renaissance, toppling 30th seed Matteo Arnaldi in a thrilling four-set comeback to reach round two at all four majors for the first time.
However, Aleksandar Vukic couldn’t join the celebration, falling to Japan’s Rei Sakamoto in a five-set heartbreaker that resumed with Sakamoto quickly closing out victory.
Birrell now faces Russian world No.19 Ekaterina Alexandrova with a guaranteed $265,000 payday at stake.
Day two promises more Australian action with Alexei Popyrin, Rinky Hijikata, James Duckworth, and Maya Joint all vying for second-round berths at Flushing Meadows.
