Gutsy Queenslander Kimberly Birrell has hung tough to turn up the heat on veteran Kaia Kanepi, sending the part-time ice road trucker packing in the first round of the Australian Open.
The Estonian No.31 seed served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but Birrell fought back before powering through the third set to win 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 in two and half hours as the temperature soared past 35 degrees at Melbourne Park.
