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Australia’s Kimberly Birrell produced the biggest shock of the opening week at the French Open, rallying from a set down to knock out fifth seed Jessica Pegula in a dramatic first-round clash.
The World No. 83 came from behind to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, marking the biggest victory of her career and causing Pegula’s earliest Grand Slam exit in five years.
It was also Birrell’s first win at Roland Garros and her debut main-draw victory at a major outside her home Slam in Melbourne.
Jessica Pegula. Pic/AFP
A visibly emotional Birrell struggled to process the scale of the victory moments after leaving the court. “I don’t really know what to say or think,” she said after securing not just her first win in Paris, but her first at a Grand Slam that isn’t the Australian Open.
“When I saw the draw and saw I was playing Jessie, I knew it would be really tough. I really admire her as a player and person. I tried to take it one point at a time. I thought she played so well in the first set. My goal was to just win one game and slowly gain some confidence. So happy I was able to play probably the best match I’ve played on clay, and able to play during a Grand Slam, especially here, it’s really really special.”
Birrell will next face Oleksandra Oliynykova for a place in the third round. Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina suffered a shock early exit in the French Open second round at the hands of Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3, 1-6, 6-7(4).
In another match, four-time former winner Iga Swiatek moved into the women’s singles third round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Sara Bejlek. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner stormed into the second round with a commanding display to brush aside French wildcard Clement Tabur 6-1, 6-3, 6-4.
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