Ajla Tomljanovic and Kimberly Birrell will square off in the Austin quarterfinals on Saturday after winning their second-round matches on Friday.
After Birrell missed the chance to set up the all-Australian affair against Tomljanovic in Austin last year, both players ensured it would happen in 2026.
Tomljanovic recorded her third top-20 win in four months after prevailing over No.2 seed Iva Jovic. The world No.74 rallied from a set down to secure victory 4-6 6-4 6-4 and reach the final eight in Austin for the second straight year.
Despite losing the opening set, Tomljanovic knew she would be presented with chances if she maintained her level.
“It was important to not let her get away with the scoreline in the second [set], just stay close enough to keep my serve and then try to find the looks on her serve to break,” she said.
“It was a really high-level match, and she pushed me to play my best today. I knew that would be required today … so I’m really thrilled to have had a great match.”
Tomljanovic’s week in Austin has showcased glimpses of her best tennis, evident in her victories against Venus Williams on Wednesday and Jovic on Friday. Now feeling fit and healthy after several injury setbacks over the past couple of years, the 32-year-old believes she is making progress.
READ: Tomljanovic joins esteemed group with victory over Venus
“I feel like I’ve come a long way since maybe even last year,” she said. “That kind of progress makes me excited and playing matches like this is what you look forward to as a professional tennis player.”
Earlier, Birrell needed just 86 minutes to defeat world No.126 Caroline Dolehide, cruising to a 6-4 6-2 victory. The Queenslander was in control for the entire match, breaking Dolehide’s serve in the opening games of each set.
“I just told myself to play my game and stay aggressive,” Birrell said. “She obviously has some big weapons, but I tried honestly not to think too much about [her] end of the court and focused on what I could do well, and I think I was able to stick with Plan A today, which was nice.”
It continued Birrell's solid start to the year, having also reached the semifinals on home soil at the Adelaide International, a WTA 500 event.
She boasts a 9-5 record in 2026, with her opening eight victories against top-100 opponents.
In Merida, Priscilla Hon chases her first WTA quarterfinal since September 2019 when she plays No.1 seed Jasmine Paolini on Friday. The lucky loser set up her clash with Paolini after she beat Mexican Renata Zarazua 6-2 2-6 6-4 on Wednesday.
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