Good friends Kimberly Birrell and Maddison Inglis have been battling each other on the tennis courts for a little over a decade.
From Australian Pro Tour events right around the country, to international tournaments in Birmingham, Tokyo, and Vancouver, the pair clashed seven times prior to their Australian Open 2026 first-round match on Day 3.
However, Tuesday night’s battle at John Cain Arena was their greatest installment, exactly three hours of tense, seesawing tennis that had many ebbs and flows. Played on a stage whose magnitude was unlike that of previous encounters, Birrell and Inglis competed in an epic.
It was just a shame that only one player could win, and that was Inglis. Four years since her last main-draw singles match at a major, she grasped the opportunity with two hands.
The West Australian withstood constant challenges from her compatriot to close out the match 7-6(6) 6-7(9) 6-4 and advanced to the round of 64 at Melbourne Park for the second time.
Despite the triumph, it was a bittersweet feeling for Inglis, who became emotional during her on-court interview after eliminating a fellow Australian.
“It feels amazing. It’s really hard to play such a good friend,” she said. “The last few days have been a bit stressful.
“It was an amazing match with Kim. I absolutely adore her so it was really hard to see her on the other side. But I’m so stoked that I can play through those feelings, and being in the second round, it means the world.”
With not much separating the pair in the opening set, a timely double fault from Birrell helped Inglis earn a minibreak at 7-6 in the tiebreak. The West Australian then capitalised, forcing the error on the Queenslander’s serve to win the first set.
Inglis had a chance to serve for the match at 5-4 in the second set, after storming out to an early 4-0 lead. However, Birrell’s experience in tight situations paid dividends as she was able to save two match points and force a decider.
With a final-set tiebreak looming, Inglis mounted pressure on the Australian No.3, earning the break at 5-4, before holding to love and setting up a second-round showdown against German veteran Laura Siegemund.
“She’s honestly the Queen of Comebacks,” Inglis said of Birrell. “I knew I was going to have to win it and I couldn’t get it done in the second [set], but I really did my best to just put it behind me and just remember I was playing some really great tennis. I just had to trust myself and know that I could do it."
After playing in parallel with fiancée Jason Kubler throughout qualifying, Inglis had the added bonus of having Kubler in her coaches’ box tonight, something she truly cherishes.
“He’s awesome. I’m very lucky to have him in my life and also in my box,” she said. “Super grateful to have someone who understands and plays such amazing tennis. He can really see it in a way that maybe I can’t from the side, so it means the world.”
Inglis is one of six Australian women through to the second round, the most at a major since Australian Open 1992, where eight Australians advanced.
In her first match under the Australian flag at Melbourne Park, Daria Kasatkina almost increased the tally to seven, yet a second-set bagel was not enough to conquer Czech qualifier Nikola Bartunkova.
Aussies in action – Australian Open 2026
DAY 3 RESULTS
Women’s singles – first round
[Q] Maddison Inglis (AUS) d Kimberly Birrell (AUS) 7-6(6) 6-7(9) 6-4
[WC] Taylah Preston (AUS) d Zhang Shuai (CHN) 6-3 2-6 6-3
Tereza Valentova (CZE) d [30] Maya Joint (AUS) 6-4 6-4
[Q] Nikola Bartunkova (CZE) d Daria Kasatkina (AUS) 7-6(7) 0-6 6-3
COMING UP
Women’s singles – second round
[WC] Talia Gibson (AUS) v [23] Diana Shnaider – First match, Kia Arena
[Q] Storm Hunter (AUS) v Hailey Baptiste (USA) – Second match, ANZ Arena
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) v Elena-Gabriela Ruse (ROU) – Third match, John Cain Arena
[WC] Priscilla Hon (AUS) v [29] Iva Jovic (USA) – Fifth match, Rod Laver Arena
[WC] Taylah Preston (AUS) v [13] Linda Noskova (CZE) – Thursday
[Q] Maddison Inglis (AUS) v Laura Siegemund (GER) – Thursday