Kim Birrell's French Open run ended in heartbreak on the second round, with Oleksandra Oliynykova coming through 6-3, 0-6, 7-6(10-5) after more than two hours in a match that swung wildly before finishing with an underarm-serve rally and a forehand dumped into the net. Birrell, who had been chasing a repeat of her best grand slam showing, could not turn a late surge into a breakthrough.
The Australian had been in position to level the match after taking control of the second set and then racing through six straight games to seize the momentum back from Oliynykova. But the third set quickly tilted again when Oliynykova regained her composure, earned an early break for a 2-0 lead and forced Birrell to claw back just to stay in touch. From there the games stayed on serve until the match tiebreaker, where Birrell fell behind 5-1 before drawing level at 5-5, only for her 11th double fault to leave her under pressure and the match to end on the next point.
The defeat arrived just days after Birrell had recorded the best win of her career over American No.5 Jessica Pegula, a result that had raised hopes she could at least equal her third-round finish from the Australian Open in 2019. Instead, she was left to absorb a loss to a player known more for guile than power, one who repeatedly changed pace and then stepped forward aggressively on the next ball to keep Birrell guessing.
Birrell did not hide her frustration afterward. She said she was very disappointed, but also insisted she was still really proud of herself and the way she fought. She added that Oliynykova played really well and lifted her level to win the third set, and said the Ukrainian's ability to alter the pace before attacking the next ball had surprised her. For Birrell, the week delivered one of the biggest wins of her career and then, in the space of a few days, one of the toughest losses.
