An easy semifinal

The Canadian beats her second all-time top 10

The analysis of the matchup against Keys paid off, great value. The Canadian made her speed and variety count, despite a bit of a dip in the second set. Madison didn’t have the coverage or the defense required, and this confirms that Kalinskaya had a much more complete profile to beat Mboko in the previous match. We’ve got a good read on the young star’s profile and I doubt Birrell simply has the weapons to counter her.

In her post-match interview, Kimberly said she was a bit surprised, that she was really scared against the Romanian Cristian, and admitted the crowd clearly carried her. Only 7 break points converted out of 17, 8 double faults, soft second serves, and yet she got it done in three sets, with a 7–5 in the third helped by a bit of luck. There’s clearly a tailwind for the local players at the start of the year in Australia. A big crowd, very ethical, that supports without disturbing the opponent. The Italian crowd could really take a leaf out of their book ^^

Then again, for Birrell, it’s three quarterfinals in 2025, all lost at WTA level. You can say that from now on, it’s all a bonus. A celebratory match in front of her home crowd. The only downside on the Canadian side is that big bandage on her leg and the risk of aggravating an issue before the AO.