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Kim Birrell calls it her line-in-the-sand moment.

A gut-wrenching three-set defeat in second-round Wimbledon qualifying in June last year sent Birrell spiralling into self-reflection – and was the impetus for her rise to becoming Australia’s top-ranked women’s tennis player.

She poured her heart out in the minutes afterwards to coach Nicole Pratt, and her brother Cade.

“Pratty is someone I really trust. I kind of just laid it all out on the table with her. From that moment forward, I felt like she’s really been in my corner, so I’m really grateful to her,” Birrell told this masthead.

“I knew that if I wanted to win tough matches and go deeper in tournaments that I needed to make some changes. I’m really, really proud that I’ve been able to do that, and it’s taken a lot of work and a lot of effort, but it’s so cool to see the results follow.”

The changes were less technical and more mental, much like fellow Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava’s own re-emergence.

“Honestly, the biggest thing is just the belief to back myself in big moments and to not doubt my serve or my forehand,” Birrell said.

“When I work so hard to get an opportunity, it’s about taking it, whether it’s on the scoreboard or even just in the point. If you earn a short ball, you take it, and you come forward and play aggressive.

“I think that’s what it takes to win with the quality of the players on tour at the moment.”

After qualifying for last year’s US Open, Birrell is amid a spectacular summer.
She upset top-10 star Emma Navarro on her way to the quarter-finals at the WTA 500 event in Brisbane before qualifying for the Australian Open. That is a story in itself.

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Birrell, 26, found out in mid-December that she had missed out on a wildcard into her home grand slam despite being ranked 113 in the world at the time.

The problem was Daria Saville and Ajla Tomljanovic both needed wildcards, too, while Australia is rich with emerging talent, from Maya Joint to Talia Gibson and world junior No.1 Emerson Jones.

But not once has Birrell moaned about her lot. She has responded in the best way possible, earning a main draw place herself. This will be her sixth AO appearance, including a career-best run to the last 32 in 2019.

Birrell’s emotions boiled over after she finally outlasted Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva to book her berth. She spent about five-and-a-half hours on court across her final two wins.

“I’m feeling so many things, and I’m super grateful for everyone’s support. I think that’s what really got me through,” she said.

“It’s been a big last 10 days [including Brisbane], and I was feeling pretty emotionally and physically drained, and I think that’s when emotions sit pretty close to the surface, and in the moment, it all came out. It’s special to feel those kinds of emotions because that’s how much it means.”