An elated Kim Birrell plans on paying down her mortgage after surviving a match point and a restless night’s sleep to chalk up a life-changing US Open win in New York. The gritty Gold Coaster wore down Croatian Petra Marcinko 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 to finally reach the second round after losing all three of her previous Flushing Meadows openers in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Young gun Maya Joint and veteran James Duckworth also advanced on a banner day two for the Australian contingent.
Joint rallied to take out higher-ranked Russian Liudmila Samsonova 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to continue her revival after a horror start to 2026, while Duckworth notched a mighty 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8) comeback victory over 2026 French Open semi-finalist Matteo Arnaldi, the men’s 30th seed. But a beaming Birrell stole the day in burying her first-round hoodoo after being forced to return to Court 7 following a nervy 14-hour rain delay. Birrell had lost in straight sets to Marcinko on grass at Eastbourne two months ago, having dropped the opening set 6-0 in their first meeting in February, which Birrell won in Texas.
Birrell and coach Matt Fraser are wedding planning for their upcoming big day in Kingscliff and said the massive cheque will go nicely on their honeymoon. We’re getting married at the end of the year so that helps a lot and maybe I’ll buy some extra flowers. Yeah, the mortgage.” Birrell is also slated to soar 16 spots to a career-high world No 55, displacing Talia Gibson as Australia’s new No 1.
Birrell, Joint and Duckworth follow WA rising star Taylah Preston in progressing. Turning 35 in January, Duckworth has finally reached round two at all four grand slams and next faces China’s Yibing Wu for a place in the last 32. Joint had lost 13 of 14 matches since January before starting to turn her season around during the American hardcourt swing.
Now the 20-year-old has earned a crack at ninth seed Elina Svitolina. While the quartet marched on, Aleksandar Vukic was unable to win his weather-delayed epic against Rei Sakamoto, eventually losing 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 3-6 6-4.
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