Injury-plagued Kim Birrell will lastly make her worldwide grand-slam debut after being awarded Tennis Australia’s reciprocal wildcard for this month’s French Open.
Thanasi Kokkinakis has additionally been handed a wildcard and can be a part of a wholesome Australian contingent of not less than seven males within the singles attract Paris from May 28.
But Birrell could should fly the Australian flag solo within the girls’s singles as three-time grand slam quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic and former top-20 star Daria Saville stay extraordinarily uncertain.
Tomljanovic and Saville have each been off courtroom with knee accidents and neither have performed all yr.
After reaching the final eight at Wimbledon and the US Open final yr, Tomljanovic had been poised to be seeded on the Australian Open solely to overlook the complete summer time.
The 30-year-old stays on the French Open entry record, whereas Saville was mentioned to be toying with utilizing an injury-protected rating to contest the clay-court main after tearing an ACL in Tokyo final September.
But if they do not play, Birrell can be the one Australian girl within the singles most important draw at Roland Garros.
Hailing from the identical Southport tennis membership on the Gold Coast as former French Open finalist Samantha Stosur, Birrell shot to prominence with a cost to the final 32 at Melbourne Park in 2019.
Injuries have since held her again, however the 25-year-old is nonetheless Australia’s second-highest ranked feminine behind Tomljanovic at No.111 on this planet.
“I’m so excited to be playing main draw of Roland Garros this year. It’s an honour to receive the wildcard, and I can’t wait to be out there competing and playing my heart out on one of the world’s biggest stages,” Birrell mentioned.
“I’m proud of the hard work I’ve put in and the progress I’ve made, especially over the last few months, and I’m feeling confident that I can produce my best tennis against the best players in the world.”
Kokkinakis, the world No.104, edged out lower-ranked however worthy candidates James Duckworth, Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata for TA’s males’s wildcard after narrowly lacking the direct entry cut-off.
The 27-year-old one-time Roger Federer slayer reached the quarter-finals of a clay-court Challenger occasion in Italy this month after after efficiently qualifying for the Miami and Indian Wells Masters on US onerous courts.
Kokkinakis additionally received Challenger title on clay in Bahrain final month, beating fellow Australian and former French Open junior runner-up Alexei Popyrin alongside the way in which.
Kokkinakis has proven a liking for the pink grime of Roland Garros, rallying for an epic five-sets victory over countryman Bernard Tomic as a young person in 2015 earlier than falling to Novak Djokovic in a high-quality third-round centre-court encounter.
“It feels great to be back on the clay, I feel like I’m playing well at the moment, and have some great memories playing at the French,” Kokkinakis mentioned.
“I really appreciate getting the wildcard and can’t wait to compete in Paris again.”
World No.18 Alex de Minaur will spearhead Australia’s assault on the yr’s second grand slam.
Like Tomljanovic and Saville, 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios hasn’t performed this yr due to a knee damage but additionally stays on entry record for a attainable shock return.
Other Australians within the males’s singles this yr shall be Jason Kubler, Popyrin, Chris O’Connell, Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
