Brisbane International 2025: Kimberly Birrell’s dream run over after crashing out of quarter-finals
After knocking over both the World No.8 and 35, Kimberly Birrell’s inspiring Brisbane International campaign has ended in heartbreak, crashing out of the quarter-finals.
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Kimberly Birrell’s inspiring Brisbane International run has ended in a heartbreaking three-set thriller against Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina – but it hasn’t put a dent in the rising star’s confidence.
The Gold Coaster took the first set 6-4 before falling 1-6 and 7-5 – ending her dream run at the tournament in front of a packed Pat Rafter stadium.
Birrell staged an almighty comeback in the third set but her inability to make the most of her multiple break points kept her from victory.
But Birrell, now Australia’s top ranked women’s singles player, can hold her head high.
On her way to the quarter-final she bested both world No.8 Emma Navarro and No.35 Anastasia Potapov.
While disappointed to lose, the 26-year-old said she was “super proud”.
“Of course I’m disappointed at getting so close and falling just short but I’m going to focus on the positives and I’m super proud of how I played this week,” Birrell said.
While Kalinina got the better of the Australian in the end Birrell didn’t make it easy for her. Aside from the hiccup in the second set – Birrell matched every one of Kalinina’s moves.
The fight she displayed in the third set was remarkable.
The Australian got a whiff of victory in the eighth game but couldn’t make the most of the two break points – leaving the score locked at 4-4.
She forced Kalinina to fight for her fifth set as well – the Ukrainian once again saving three break points to keep the score locked.
As the game dragged past the 2.5 hour mark Kalinina sat 6-5. Birrell had to force a break if she wanted to keep her semi-final hopes alive.
But Kalinina didn’t falter under pressure taking the game, set and match.
“Obviously the second set went by super fast and she did come out from the break and play some really good tennis,” Birrell said.
“Unfortunately I stiffened up a little bit and my legs felt heavy and I didn’t move as well as I can.
“I needed some more legs but I was really happy that I was able to refocus and just tell myself to give 100 per cent of whatever I had left in the tank in the third set and that’s what I did. That was why I was able to be so much more competitive.
“Even though I came up short I’m proud of myself for giving it everything I had.”
Birrell, who has now played three intense games in as many days, said she would take a day off tomorrow before switching back on for Australian Open qualifiers in Melbourne.
“The confidence that I’ve gained this week has been unreal,” she said.
“You just can’t replicate that in practice, you need to really prove on the match court that you can do it.
“Having really done that this week I’m going to use that into next week and hopefully the whole year.
“That is what I love about tennis. Each week is a new opportunity.”
SABALENKA SHOT TO SEND SHIVERS THROUGH AUS OPEN RIVALS
It is the shot that should send shivers through Aryna Sabalenka’s Australian Open rivals.
At a crucial stage in the second set of her 6-3 6-4 Brisbane International victory over Marie Bouzkova on Friday night, Sabalenka wowed the world with a winner not previously thought part of her repertoire.
On the back foot against the crafty Bouzkova, Sabalenka crossed the court to her forehand side and shaped to unleash one of her trademark punishing ground strokes. But at the final moment, she reversed her grip and deftly sliced the ball back across the court, completely wrong-footing her Czech rival and drawing gasps from the crowd inside Pat Rafter Arena.
The back-to-back Australian Open champion’s bread and butter has long been her powerful serve and brutal ground strokes – those alone were good enough to win the past two titles at Melbourne Park.
But the Belarusian forewarned when she arrived in Brisbane last month ahead of the Australian summer that there was plenty of room for improvement in her game and on Friday night she offered a glimpse of exactly that.
Last year’s Brisbane International runner-up will face super teen Mira Andreeva on Saturday for a place in the final.
Andreeva, 17, defeated Sabalenka in the quarter-finals of the French Open last year.
The pair combined for an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi at the end of last year.
WORLD NO.16 GOES ONE BETTER THAN 2024
Mirra Andreeva has gone one better than her last Brisbane International progressing through to the semi-finals after a tight battle with Ons Jabeur.
Andreeva, just 17 and the youngest player in the draw, took the match 6-4,7-6 (7-2).
It took her just over half an hour to claim the first points.
Jabeur put up a good fight considering it is her first tournament since the Canadian Open, last August, where she lost to Naomi Osaka in the final.
The second set was a tighter battle with neither athlete able to secure a break – the scores level at 6-6.
Jabeur finally cracked under the pressure in the tie-break with Andreeva taking it easily 7-2.
It is Andreeva’s second outing at the Brisbane International – she made it to the quarter-finals last year.
The teenage tennis sensation has been in good form – reaching two WTA finals in 2024.
Andreeva will now play the winner of the Aryna Sabalanka and Marie Bouzkova – which was due to be played on Friday night.
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Originally published as Brisbane International 2025: Kimberly Birrell’s dream run over after crashing out of quarter-finals
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