Birrell and Aiava advance to Australian Open main draw

With four Australian women going into the final round of qualifying it was just Kimberly Birrell and Destanee Aiava that grabbed victories to take their place in the main draw.

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 26, 2022:. Australia’s Kimberly Birrell during a semi final match at the ACT Clay Court International #1.. (Photo by Rob Keating/Robicia Tennis Photography)

Birrell started well against world no. 169 Oksana Selekhmeteva and broke her opponent in the fourth game to lead 3-1.

After a service hold and then another break Birrell was serving for the first set at 5-1. Selekhmeteva would break back and then hold to force Birrell to serve again to take the first set.

Birrell had an opportunity to break in the first game of the second set, however was forced into a forehand error.

The Australian would break in the third game before playing an 11-minute game to consolidate the break for a 3-1 lead.

The Russian would break in the sixth game to make it 3-3. At this stage the players were exchanging breaks before finally in the 9th game Selekhmeteva held, with Birrell also holding until it was 6-6 and the match was headed to a tie-break.

The the breaker Birrell had a mini-break for 3-1 before a double-fault from the Australian saw the score at 3-3. It was 4-4 before Selekhmeteva ran off the next few points to level the match.

Another long game was played in the opening game of the third. Birrell would fight off a break point before holding.

Selekhmeteva held to love and was looking the better of the two players and would break for a 2-1 lead. Birrell hit back straight away.

After a few service holds it was Birrell that broke in the 8th and stepped up to serve for her place in the main draw.

The Australian found herself with two match points at 40-15 before Selekhmeteva won the next four points to break back.

With Selekhmeteva serving to level the match at 5-5 she was broken to love to see Birrell grab an emotional win.

“I don’t think I can speak properly. I just feel so many things – happy and grateful and relieved and tired,” Birrell said. “But I’m absolutely stoked and cannot wait to play next week.”

Aiva also advanced after a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Germany’s Eva Lys.

Destanee Aiava

“I think it’s more my mentality. It’s really me getting out of my own way and actually not shying away from wanting to succeed in this sport,” the world No.195 said.

“I know I’ve always had the talent and the hard work and all the other stuff. It’s just my brain.

“I think it was just a matter of actually putting myself in positions to play those big matches and get more experience, like qualifying for US Open, even reaching last round of qualies here last year, as well. All those matches, they add up. Even if I lose, I still learnt so much from it.

“I think the older I get, as well, I think it just comes with maturity, too.”

Maddison Inglis won her opening set against Argentine 19th seed Julia Riera before fading and losing 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

In her qualifying debut, 20-year-old wildcard and world No.400 Elena Micic pushed last week’s Brisbane International finalist Polina Kudermetova before the sixth seed prevailed 6-4 7-5 for her debut Grand Slam main draw berth.

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