When was the last time someone broke down at a Grand Slam event? Australia’s top ranked female tennis player, Kimberly Birrell, who admitted she was “rattled” by a late change, became the latest face of exhibiting disappointment at the Australian Open. Devastated with the outcome of her season-opening Slam adventure, the Aussie later reduced to tears during her post-match presser.

Australian home favourite Birrell landed in Melbourne on the back of a quarterfinal finish at the Brisbane International. Having furnished herself with a modest start to the season, many speculated that Birrell would dig deep at the ‘Happy Slam’. However, she was denied in the tournament’s opener. The 26-year-old was slated to lock horns with Anna Kalinskaya in the first round of the hardcourt mega event when an abrupt update dismantled the Aussie’s encounter. Kalinskaya pulled out at the 11th hour.

Moments after the Russian star withdrew, lucky loser Eva Lys of Germany quickly filled the replacement slot. A new rival for Birrell, notably ranked 27 places lower than her, presented both good and bad news for the Aussie. The switch-up didn’t do much favor for her pre-planned tactical plans, and she suffered a dreadful fate at the hands of Lys. She lost the showdown with a straight-set scoreline that read 6-2 6-2 in just 70 mins.

After enduring a premature exit from the Melbourne Slam, the Australian star sat for her post-match presser and broke down while talking to the reporters and addressing her devastating fate. “I’m an emotional person. I’m human. I put a lot of hard work and effort into this sport, and then to obviously also play some really good matches and then have a day like today is a hard pill to swallow,” Birrell said as she shed tears.

Fighting back tears, Birrell addressed her emotional reaction saying, “Sorry, I didn’t want to cry,” after clarifying: “I had prepared to play Anna. She’s a really amazing player. I knew that I was in for a battle against her, and I had done my research and spoke a lot with my team.”

However, the Aussie sensation did not shy away from owning up to her act and emphatically remarked on her performance at the Rod Laver.

Kimberly Birrell “super disappointed” after a terrible start to the Slam calendar

Australian star Kimberly Birrell admitted that she struggled to regroup following Russian Anna Kalinskaya’s surprise withdrawal from her opening round act at the Australian Open. Despite the terrible outcome, the 26-year-old took full responsibility for her performance and expressed what went wrong with her showcase at the Rod Laver Arena.

In the same post-match presser, an emotional Birrell told the reporters: “Obviously super disappointed to not play my best today. It was a tough situation. If I could play the match again, I would love that. I think it could have gone differently, but you know, it is what it is. To find out that she withdrew and that I was playing someone completely different did rattle me, unfortunately. But, in saying that, she was in the same position as me.” 

Though disappointed by the setback, she understood that Lys faced a similar challenge, having been thrust into the role unexpectedly. “I take responsibility for not handling that. I didn’t have my best day … it felt like it just got away from me. [It is] something that I can definitely learn from,” added the World No. 101.

For now, the best Birrell can do is recoup for the upcoming tour-level events scheduled to commence after the Melbourne Slam’s conclusion on January 26.