Amanda Anisimova vs Kimberly Birrell

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Amanda Anisimova vs Kimberly Birrell — US Open 1R Preview

WTA US Open Hard Court First Round

🧠 Form & Context

Amanda Anisimova (No. 9, age 23)

• 🇺🇸 Breakthrough year capped by top-10 debut.
• 🏆 Titles: Doha (WTA 1000); Wimbledon finalist (lost 0–6, 0–6 to Świątek).
• 📊 2025: 33–15 (13–7 hard).
• 🔥 Slams: Wim F, RG R16, AO R2.
• 🏟️ US Open: 2–3 lifetime in R1; last R1 win here in 2021.
• 💡 Strengths: Big first strike, weighty backhand; front-runs when serve lands.
• ⚠️ NYC nerves historically her weak point.

Kimberly Birrell (No. 83, age 27)

• 🇦🇺 Back inside top 100; honest counterpuncher.
• 📊 2025: 29–21 (19–9 hard); QFs Brisbane & Singapore, W100 Brisbane champion.
• 📉 Current form: 1–4 last five; US Open MD 0–2 (2023–24).
• 💡 Strengths: Extends rallies, solid tempo control.
• ⚠️ Slam R1 record 2–9 (0–5 outside Australia); limited finishing power vs elite hitters.

🔍 Match Breakdown

H2H: First meeting.

Power vs consistency. Anisimova’s ceiling is several tiers higher; if she earns early forehand patterns and protects second serve with depth, Birrell will be stuck defending with little counter-damage. Birrell’s path is narrow: soak pace, vary height/spin, and hope Anisimova overpresses in New York’s energy. If rallies stretch, Kim can make it sticky—but she still needs free points from Amanda’s errors to bridge the firepower gap.

Momentum leans Anisimova after a solid summer (MTL R16, CIN R3). Over best-of-three, Birrell’s durability edge is muted; scoreboard pressure likely flips if Amanda lands 60%+ first serves.

🔮 Prediction

The venue history is the only red flag for Anisimova. Given 2025 form and weapons, this looks manageable unless nerves spike.

Pick: Anisimova in 2 sets — competitive opener, then separation once the backhand line starts to bite.

📊 Tale of the Tape (Qualitative)

• First-strike power: Clear Anisimova edge.
• Rally tolerance: Birrell steadier, but lacks finishing pace.
• Serve pressure: If Amanda’s 1st-serve % holds, points stay short.
• Form trend: Anisimova up; Birrell cooled after strong start.
• Mental note: NYC nerves vs top-10 composure leap in 2025.