Maddison Inglis' Emotional Victory Over Best Friend at Australian Open
Tears flowed freely from Maddison Inglis' eyes despite her triumphant victory in the opening round of the Australian Open on Tuesday. The 28-year-old Australian professional broke down emotionally after defeating her closest friend, Kimberly Birrell, in a gripping three-set marathon that concluded 7-6(6) 6-7(9) 6-4.
An Emotionally Charged Encounter
While undoubtedly pleased with her victory, Inglis found herself overwhelmed with emotion as she contemplated eliminating her lifelong companion from the tournament. 'It's really, really hard to play such a good friend. The last few days have been a bit stressful,' Inglis revealed during her post-match court interview.
'It's so tough. It was an amazing match with Kim and yeah, I absolutely adore her so it was really hard to see her on the other side,' she continued. 'But I'm stoked I could play through those feelings and be in the second round. It means the world.'
Late-Night Tennis Drama
The pair took to the court after 9pm and battled until after midnight, creating additional challenges for Inglis who doesn't consider herself a night person. 'I don't consider myself a night person, so it's different to get going, you know, this late in the day, but, you know, if it's going to be for anything, it's for the Australian Open, so I was so pumped,' she explained.
World No. 168 Inglis demonstrated remarkable resilience to overcome her higher-ranked friend, who sits at No. 76 in the global standings. The victory sets up a second-round encounter with Indonesian player Aldila Sutjiadi scheduled for Thursday at 4pm.
Tactical Battle and Decisive Moments
The match unfolded as a fascinating tactical contest, with Inglis hitting significantly fewer winners than Birrell but committing fewer unforced errors and delivering superior serving performance. She captured the first set in a tense tiebreaker before surrendering the second set in similar fashion.
Inglis acknowledged the difficulty of securing the deciding set, describing her friend as 'the queen of comebacks.' The third set remained on serve until 4-4, when Birrell's serve faltered at a crucial moment. A double fault presented Inglis with two break points, and she required just one to seize the advantage before holding her own serve to clinch the match.
Fan Reactions and Tournament Context
Tennis enthusiasts online celebrated the quality of the encounter between two unseeded players who many had not expected to produce such compelling drama. 'Underrated match of the day This match was so good, nervous and nail-biting until the end,' one spectator commented on social media platform X.
Another supporter wrote: 'What a night. Inglis showing resilience and making every point count. Welcome back to Grand Slam wins.'
Career Milestones and Financial Rewards
This victory marks Inglis' first appearance at a Grand Slam tournament since Wimbledon in 2022, where she suffered a first-round exit. Her career-best performance at a major remains reaching the third round of the Australian Open in 2022.
To secure her place in the Australian Open main draw, Inglis had to navigate three challenging qualifying matches, including victories over two seeded opponents. Her first-round triumph guarantees her a $225,000 prize, with potential earnings rising to $327,000 should she advance to the third round with a victory on Thursday.
The emotional victory represents not only a significant professional achievement but also a testament to Inglis' ability to compartmentalise personal relationships while competing at the highest level of professional tennis.
