Three Australian players progressed on day two of the US Open, with Kim Birrell finally breaking through her first-round barrier after three consecutive losses at Flushing Meadows. Birrell defeated Croatian Petra Marcinko 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 following a 14-hour rain delay, while Maya Joint and James Duckworth also secured victories to cap a successful day for the Australian contingent.
Birrell's breakthrough proved particularly significant given her history at the tournament. The 28-year-old Gold Coaster had fallen in the opening round in 2023, 2024 and 2025, making her latest result a turning point in her career. She fended off a match point in the 12th game of the second set before rallying from a set down and a mini break deficit in the tiebreaker to secure one of her most rewarding victories.
How did Birrell overcome the odds?
Birrell's mental resilience proved decisive after the extended weather delay forced her to return to Court 7 with an anxious night ahead. She described waking at 5am in a state of heightened alertness, forcing herself to calm down and return to sleep before her scheduled match time.
"I woke up around 5am, like wide awake, ready to step out on court and my alarm wasn't for a few more hours,"she explained.
"So I had to calm myself back down, and try to clear my mind and then managed to get back to sleep."
The match itself represented a reversal of recent form between the two players. Birrell had lost to Marcinko in straight sets on grass at Eastbourne two months earlier, having also dropped a 6-0 opening set in their first meeting in February—a match Birrell won in Texas. Her second-round opponent will be Russian world No 19 Ekaterina Alexandrova, who advanced by defeating American McCartney Kessler in straight sets. The official WTA draw confirms Alexandrova as Birrell's seeded opponent in that section of the bracket.
What does the prize money mean for Birrell?
The financial reward from her victory carries immediate personal significance. Birrell earned a guaranteed purse of $US190,000 ($A265,000)—or potentially more should she defeat Alexandrova—with plans to allocate the funds toward her upcoming wedding and mortgage.
"That's crazy,"Birrell told AAP following her win.
"Oh my gosh, I don't think I'll be spending it here. I'll definitely save some of it. We're getting married at the end of the year so that helps a lot and maybe I'll buy some extra flowers. And we've got a mortgage. Yeah, the mortgage."
Birrell and her coach Matt Fraser are planning their wedding for Kingscliff later in 2026, with the prize money earmarked partly for their honeymoon and partly toward their home loan.
What are the career implications?
Birrell's ranking is set to climb 16 positions to a career-high world No 55, which will displace Talia Gibson and establish her as Australia's new No 1. The breakthrough comes after years of frustration at the US Open and represents a significant milestone in her professional development.
How did Joint and Duckworth perform?
Maya Joint demonstrated impressive form by rallying to defeat higher-ranked Russian Liudmila Samsonova 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, continuing her resurgence after a difficult start to 2026. The 20-year-old had lost 13 of her previous 14 matches since January before beginning to turn her season around during the American hardcourt swing. She will now face ninth seed Elina Svitolina in the second round.
James Duckworth, at 34 years old, achieved a significant personal milestone by reaching the second round at all four Grand Slam tournaments. The veteran defeated men's 30th seed Matteo Arnaldi—a semi-finalist at the 2026 French Open—in a comeback victory, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8). Duckworth will next face China's Yibing Wu for a place in the last 32.
Taylah Preston, a rising star from Western Australia, also progressed on day two, joining the quartet of advancing Australians.
Who fell short?
Aleksandar Vukic was unable to convert his weather-delayed epic against Japan's Rei Sakamoto, eventually falling 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 despite pushing the match to five sets.
What happens next?
Birrell is scheduled to play Alexandrova in the second round on Tuesday, September 2, 2026 at 17:00. Duckworth will face Wu in his second-round encounter, while Joint prepares to meet Svitolina. The three Australian winners will be seeking to extend their runs deeper into the tournament.
