She was ranked 296 in the world and was making a steady transition into the professional ranks after a stellar junior career which included a run to the semi-finals of the Australian Open junior tournament a year earlier.

But nevertheless the fresh-faced Gold Coaster from a tennis-loving family faced a daunting prospect in round one. She had drawn Czech world number 12 Karolina Pliskova.

Her father John Birrell, himself a handy player who coaches and runs the Southport Queens Park Tennis Centre, told the Bulletin on the eve of the match he had emphasised to his daughter that win or lose, they were super proud of her.

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But he also reinforced something else: they were not just there to make up the numbers.

“We are here to play some serious tennis is what I did actually also say.

“I told her ‘You need to send that message too … that she is here to play’.”

And play she did.

Birrell acquitted herself admirably and was competitive despite going down 4-6 4-6. At one point she led 2-0 in the second set in a performance which earned high praise from Pliskova who predicted Birrell would be “very dangerous” in the future.

Pliskova added she was surprised that Birrell — playing her first match at a major — did not seem nervous at all.

“She has a big game,” Pliskova concluded.

For Birrell, the result and fact she had matched it with one of the best players in the world, was confirmation of what she had always suspected — her own world-class potential.

“I believe in myself, that’s something I have always had. Now I’ve proved to myself I can take it to the best girls in the world,” she told the Bulletin after the match.

Two months earlier she had graduated from Year 12.

Birrell was always going to play tennis.

She was born in Germany where her parents were working — father John was coaching the sport — before they returned to Australia and the Gold Coast when she was three.

She was playing by age four but started to take it more seriously by the time she was 12.

She has previously told the Bulletin she worked her whole life towards becoming a pro-tennis player, adding it has always been her choice to play and train and she’s just lucky to have a family who share her passion.

Despite that, she enrolled to study at Griffith University in communications and for the past couple of years since that Pliskova match in 2016 it seemed prudent.

She has been hampered by injury and an ongoing elbow problem, battling away on the second and third tiers of the professional tour for small pay cheques that barely cover costs while trying to build up her ranking.

The elbow continued to flare and eventually the decision was made to go under the surgeon’s knife.

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It was a long road back.

The 20-year-old admitted this week her belief at times had started to waiver.

“There are lots of ups and downs in tennis. Unfortunately I had a bit of an injury a couple of years ago. That’s part of it. But now I feel very lucky that I’m injury free and get to do what I love every day.

“But that was probably the toughest part — coming back from that injury and there were times I was changing ends (at smaller tournaments) and crying, not sure if I could get back to the level I was at before my surgery.

“But I am here now and I’ve worked hard to get back.”

Birrell had a strong back end of last year winning her biggest title, a $60,000 tournament in Darwin, and hit a career-high ranking of 259.

Last month she won the Australian Open wildcard playoff to earn a spot in the main draw.

In the lead up two weeks ago she took down world number 10 Daria Kasatkina in a pulsating three-set battle at the Brisbane International, marking her arrival to the big leagues.

She proved the Kasatkina win was no fluke by breezing through her first round at the Australian Open this week and then outplaying 29th seed Donna Vekic 6-4 4-6 6-1 in the second round.

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It set up last night’s showdown with world number two Angelique Kerber.

Whatever the result, Birrell has guaranteed herself a $155,000 payday to set up her year and just as importantly a ranking rise to at least the 150 mark, possibly higher.

She paid tribute to her roots this week, including growing up on the Gold Coast and having the Queens Park Tennis Centre run by her parents. It has a distinguished history having also been where Gold Coast stars Sam Stosur and Bernard Tomic logged time honing their games.

Birrell splits her time between there and the National Academy Brisbane at the Queensland Tennis Centre.

“I love the Gold Coast,” she said. “It’s where I grew up and it’s such an awesome place.

“I’m lucky my parents are super involved in tennis and have run the Queens Park Tennis Centre for the past 11 years.

“When growing up, I have such fond memories of Sam coming when it was Christmas and she was always happy to jump on court with me for the last five minutes of her practice.”

Birrell recalled being just 12 when Stosur won the 2011 US Open: “I remember that very clearly. There was a big group of us at Queens Park Tennis Centre, we were all on the couch and had it on the big screen.

“I look up to her — she’s an awesome person on and off the court.”

While her efforts this week have been impressive if not a surprise, Birrell said it was a “surreal” moment when she won match point against Vekic to advance, boosting her ranking and doubling her career prize money.

“I’m so happy. I don’t think I will be able to get rid of the smile any time soon.”