KIM’S $165K OPEN PAYDAY
AND SHE’’S NOT DONE YET
STILL basking in the glory of her shock defeat of Croatian Donna Vekic in Melbourne yesterday, Gold Coaster Kimberly Birrell will use her $165,000 Australian Open payday to buy a new car.
Ranked No.240 entering her maiden Open campaign, the 20-year-old (pictured) produced a stunning upset of 29th seed Vekic to book a showdown with three-time grand slam champion Angelique Kerber tomorrow.
Birrell, whose father and longtime coach John runs Southport’s Queen’s Park Tennis Centre with wife Ros, will pocket $165,000 for reaching the third round and said it would change her life.
“Maybe I can buy myself a car now – my mum and I share one,” she said.
“I’m just trying to take it all in. I have had some incredible opportunities the past few weeks and I have gone into every single match believing I can win.”
GIANT-KILLING Gold Coaster Kimberly Birrell has downed the 29th seed and stormed into the Australian Open third round.
She now believes she can win any time she steps on court – and she will need all of that belief when facing second seed and three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber tomorrow for a spot in the last 16.
Despite a ranking of 240 suggesting otherwise, Birrell advanced at the Australian Open yesterday thanks to an impressive 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 upset win over Donna Vekic, a rising star of the women’s game ranked 29 in the world.
Birrell, 20, had the start of her pro career hampered by injury and elbow surgery but said she had learnt early on how important it was to look after her body and work hard off court.
It has paid off. She has the scalps of Russia’s world No.10 Daria Kasatkina and 45th ranked French player Kristina Mladenovic in her Australian Open preparation.
“I did a lot of hard work off the court pre-season,” Birrell said. “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.”
She now has a guaranteed payday of $165,000, saying: “Maybe I can buy myself a car now – my mum and I share one.”
But on her more immediate task of facing Kerber – likely to be on a televised main court – she said: “That would be an incredible experience. I’m just trying to take it all in. I have had some incredible opportunities the past few weeks and I have gone into every single match believing I can win.
“You can’t beat yourself before you walk on the court.”
Birrell started strong yesterday, breaking immediately to go up 2-0 before Vekic broke straight back. Birrell maintained her level and took out the first set 6-4 in 38 minutes.
Birrell was down 1-5 in the second but fought back to 4-5, forcing Vekic to serve it out, which she did.
The decider was all Birrell who sped out to a 5-0 lead. She sealed victory on her first match point after an hour and 55 minutes.
She admitted to nerves as she closed in on the biggest win of her career against an in-form Vekic, who made the semis of the Brisbane International two weeks ago.
“I was just trying to stay in the moment, concentrate one point at a time. The crowd was super loud and really got behind me in that third set,” Birrell said.
“I was able to wrestle back the momentum a bit towards the end of that second set and I think it was key to me getting on the board early in this third.”
MAYBE I CAN BUY MYSELF A CAR NOW – MY MUM AND I SHARE ONE KIMBERLY BIRRELL