I don’t really think about seedings or rankings too much, says Kimberly Birrell

Kimberly Birrell enters the interview room on Friday (October 31, 2025), smiling together with her eyes glowing. There is no such thing as a pretense in her solutions; her replies aren’t mere one-liners, however extra explanatory.

Ranked 117 on the earth, the 27-year-old Australian, seeded seven, within the ongoing WTA 250 Chennai Open tennis match has been taking part in rock-solid tennis to date.

After two robust matches towards Nikola Bartunkova of Czechia and India’s Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Kimberly breezed previous Croatia’s third seed Donna Vekic in straight units fairly comfortably to enter the semifinals.

Nonetheless, issues weren’t the identical just a few years again for Birrell. She had two surgical procedures on her proper elbow from 2019 and 2022 that put her out of the game for some time. “It was a hellish interval, and I definitely don’t have fond reminiscences of that point. There was additionally a time once I thought I could not make it again, that tennis wasn’t going to be my path and my profession could also be over, Birrell advised itftennis.com

Between July 2019 and January 2022, she performed simply 4 tournaments and received two matches. Greater than the bodily ache it was the time away from the courts that made her unhappy.

It’s all a blur now. Within the capital metropolis of Tamil Nadu on the SDAT-Nungambakkam Stadium right here, Birrell is at her finest, serving rather well, transferring confidently and using her photographs, particularly the two-handed backhand strokes, to devasting impact.

In opposition to the third seed Vekic, Birrell was distinctive in her shot making talents, conjuring winners from the backcourt when it demanded. It was a special matter that Vekic was not at her finest, committing far too many unforced errors than warranted, making the Australian job simpler.

With the exit of Vekic, Birell is the one of many two seeds remaining within the match. When requested whether or not the exit of seeded gamers is a trigger for concern, she defined quite the opposite it reveals the extent of ladies’s tennis. “I don’t actually take into consideration the seedings or the rankings an excessive amount of. I believe in ladies’s tennis, the extent is extremely excessive that anybody can beat anyone. For instance, in my second spherical (spherical of 16) towards Shrivalli was robust. Her rating was round 400 [434], however she performed rather well. You possibly can by no means choose somebody primarily based on the quantity subsequent to their title,” she stated.

What has helped sail by, stated the Australian, is her expertise. “Clearly, what I believe helps me is that I’ve been in such conditions earlier than and I’m skilled and I’ve performed at this degree for a short time now. I believe that’s the primary factor I’m serious about,” she stated.

It drizzled persistently just a few days previous to the beginning of the Chennai Open. Matches have been cancelled for the primary two days of the primary draw and play started at 11 a.m. The primary spherical noticed fairly just a few foreigners withdrawing halfway within the match on account of excessive warmth. Birrell stated the climate was a problem.

“All of us have been simply completely satisfied that it stopped raining and that we have been getting again on court docket. Though it was very robust. And it was a problem for certain to play. Particularly, I performed at 11 a.m. on that day. So, it was very exhausting to come back from not doing an excessive amount of the final two days. However that’s why we educated so exhausting all through the complete 12 months. All of us simply had to deal with it in our personal approach. I’m glad that I used to be capable of get by it,” she stated.

Birrell thanked her coach Nicole Pratt for enhancements in her sport. “I believe she’s helped me as an individual in my tennis sport a lot. And I can’t thank her sufficient for her experience and her help. And it’s actually superior to work with a feminine coach. And, additionally somebody who performed on the WTA tour. She has a lot expertise of her personal playing–she received the singles title in 2004 (Hyderabad Open). It’s identical to a mutual understanding which I believe is tough to search out. So, I really feel very fortunate,” she stated.

Birrell has come a good distance from being a ball lady on the Pat Money Academy in Queensland the place her father was as soon as a coach.

On a resurgent journey, Birrell is having her finest run in a WTA 250 occasion this year–her finest was reaching the ultimate of the Japan Open in October 2024. There may be good cause that she received’t cease right here.