Kimberly Birrell, Maddison Inglis, Destanee Aiava, Elena Micic and Blake Ellis gained second-round AO 2025 qualifying matches on Wednesday, placing them only one win away from the primary draw at Melbourne Park.
Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 8 January 2025 | Jackson Mansell
5 Aussies will play within the remaining spherical of Australian Open qualifying after their second-round triumphs on Wednesday.
Kimberly Birrell, Maddison Inglis, Destanee Aiava, Elena Micic and Blake Ellis will all seem on courtroom on the ultimate day of qualifying at Melbourne Park on Thursday, with an Australian Open 2025 main-draw berth of their sights.
Ninth seed Birrell progressed in her all-Australian showdown in opposition to Priscilla Hon, a rematch of their Brisbane Worldwide first-round encounter final week.
The world No.99 prevailed 6-4 3-6 6-4 in one other three-set epic.
Not only a good winner, however *the* winner sees @kimbirrell98 advance previous Priscilla Hon.
She’ll tackle Oksana Selekhmeteva within the remaining spherical of qualifying!
(What a stunning second on the web, too)#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/7slvOTz8uq
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 8, 2025
“I don’t suppose Pri (Hon) and I’ve ever had a fast match, to be trustworthy,” Birrell laughed after a battle lasting almost three hours. “Though we performed one another final week, we follow collectively on a regular basis, so we all know one another’s video games inside out. She’s an unimaginable participant, has some large weapons, so I knew what to anticipate and he or she knew what to anticipate of me.
“I’m tremendous proud that I used to be simply capable of get via it, I feel, simply based mostly on my guts and willpower.”
In a seesawing affair, Birrell survived an early break to win 5 straight video games and the opening set. Hon’s 11 winners to 3 within the second set helped even proceedings at one set apiece.
Regardless of being damaged first within the remaining set at 4-3, Birrell went on a three-game run to ebook her spot within the remaining stage of qualifying.
“I’ve performed my fair proportion of massive matches now, so I do know what to anticipate,” stated Birrell, a quarterfinalist in Brisbane final week.
“I do know the sensation of the nerves and that’s what I stay for. They’re the moments I wish to expertise day in, time out, week in, week out. So I hope I can simply maintain placing myself in these forms of conditions and I’m not at all times gonna come out on prime however in the present day was one of many moments that I did.”
On Thursday Birrell will play Oksana Selekhmeteva in a bid to make her sixth Australian Open primary draw.
Inglis joined her within the remaining spherical after coming from a set right down to defeat fifth seed Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Regardless of dropping the opening set, Inglis used the Spaniard’s prolonged match in opposition to fellow Aussie Jaimee Fourlis yesterday to her benefit.
“She (Sorribes Tormo) had nearly a four-hour match yesterday with Jaimee. So, because of Jaimee for carrying her out a bit of bit,” Inglis joked.
“I knew in the present day was gonna be powerful as a result of that’s how she performs. She has actually lengthy matches and battles and he or she by no means goes away. So I knew I needed to beat her even up at 5-3 within the third, I knew I needed to win that match.”
Native hope Maddison Inglis battles again from a a set right down to defeat Sara Sorribes!
She’ll play Julia Riera for a spot in the primary draw.#AusOpen • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/6FAczLUsJ4
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 8, 2025
Inglis units up a showdown with Argentinian Julia Riera, as she seeks to avenge her loss within the remaining spherical of Australian Open qualifying final yr.
Aiava will look to advance to the primary draw after ousting Hungarian Panna Udvardy in straight units on Wednesday.
The 6-4 6-1 victory means Aiava will face German Eva Lys for an opportunity to play at her first Australian Open primary attract 4 years.
Micic, in the meantime, superior when opponent Darya Astakhova retired when trailing 6-2 3-1.
The 20-year-old Aussie is taking part in in a Grand Slam qualifying occasion for the primary time, after rising greater than 350 locations within the rankings in season 2024.
Now simply exterior the highest 400, Micic will face No.6 seed Polina Kudermetova, final week’s Brisbane Worldwide runner-up, for a spot in the primary draw.
Ellis would be the sole Australian male within the remaining spherical of qualifying after he triumphed over Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki 6-1 6-4.
He performs No.1 seed Dominik Koepfer tomorrow.
Aussies in motion – Australian Open
RESULTS
Ladies’s qualifying singles, second spherical
[3] Harriet Dart (GBR) d Taylah Preston (AUS) 6-7(7) 6-1 6-2
Maddison Inglis (AUS) d [5] Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) 4-6 6-3 6-3
[23] Eva Lys (GER) d Arina Rodionova (AUS) 7-5 6-4
Destanee Aiava (AUS) d Panna Udvardy (HUN) 6-4 6-1
Oksana Selekhmeteva d [WC] Astra Sharma (AUS) 6-3 2-6 6-4
[9] Kimberly Birrell (AUS) d Priscilla Hon (AUS) 6-4 3-6 6-4
[WC] Elena Micic (AUS) d Darya Astakhova 6-2 3-1 ret.
Males’s qualifying singles, second spherical
[17] Jaime Faria (POR) d Dane Sweeny (AUS) 6-2 6-2
[WC] Blake Ellis (AUS) d Yosuke Watanuki (JPN) 6-1 6-4
COMING UP
Ladies’s qualifying singles, third spherical
Maddison Inglis (AUS) v [19] Julia Riera (ARG)
Destanee Aiava (AUS) v [23] Eva Lys (GER)
[9] Kimberly Birrell (AUS) v Oksana Selekhmeteva
[WC] Elena Micic (AUS) v [6] Polina Kudermetova
Males’s qualifying singles, third spherical
[1] Dominik Koepfer (GER) v [WC] Blake Ellis (AUS)
Discover your solution to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to get out on courtroom and have some enjoyable!
