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Sports · US Open 2026 · Women's Singles · Round of 64
Ekaterina Alexandrova vs Kimberly Birrell — 6-1 2-6 6-3
| Ekaterina Alexandrova✓ | 6 | 2 | 6 |
 Kimberly Birrell | 1 | 6 | 3 |
Final · Wednesday, September 2, 2026 · Round of 64
Result
Alexandrova reached the US Open third round for a fourth straight year, in 1hr 39min on Court 15. The 18th seed ran away with the opening set, was pulled back in the second, then steadied. Serve was the difference: five aces to none, 77% of her first-serve points won to Birrell's 63% and 52% of her second to 38%. Birrell landed the higher first-serve percentage, 72 to 61, and was much the better volleyer — Eurosport's panel credits her with 89% of net points won to Alexandrova's 33% — but converted two of seven break points against four of nine and lost the count 85-71. Birrell, the world No. 71, had reached the second round by saving a match point in a rain-interrupted 3-6 7-6(4) 6-3 win over Petra Marcinko, and went in, per AAP, believing she could topple a seed as she had Jessica Pegula at Roland Garros this year. Alexandrova, a fourth-rounder here last season, meets Marta Kostyuk.
Rows the source hadn’t published are left off rather than guessed.
At this Stage
The Round of 64 halves the draw again: 32 women's matches across Wednesday and Thursday, every one of them between players who have already won here this week. The seeds who came through the opening round now meet opponents with form behind them rather than a ranking.
Round of 128
Round of 64
What we know now
What I said beforehand
The preview, frozen before the first serve. Clearly dated, never rewritten — that's the deal that makes the pick worth anything.
Alexandrova was ruthless on Monday and Birrell was not, which is most of the case here: 6-2 6-2 over McCartney Kessler in 1 hour 6 minutes, 83% of first-serve points won and four breaks from five chances, against Birrell's 2 hours 31 and twelve double faults in a match she won having been outscored on points, 102 to Petra Marcinko's 105. That Birrell won it at all is the interesting part — a match point saved in the twelfth game of the second set on Sunday night, a fourteen-hour rain delay, and then seven of eight break points converted on Monday for her first US Open main-draw win at the fourth attempt. Alexandrova leads the only previous meeting, on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch in 2023, and is 186–137 on hard courts to Birrell's 81–80. The ratings put it near 67–33. The 18th seed's 15–22 season is the one number that keeps this interesting.
The case for Ekaterina Alexandrova
67% to winAlexandrova spent 66 minutes on court and dropped four games, winning 83% of her first-serve points and converting four of five break points — the most efficient women's opener of the day. She won their only previous meeting and is 186–137 on hard courts, and she reached the fourth round here last year. Birrell served twelve double faults on Monday and needed 2 hours 31 minutes against a player ranked outside the top 100; against a top-20 returner that is not a survivable profile.
The case for Kimberly Birrell
33% to winBirrell has just won the match she has lost three years running, and she won it the hard way: a match point saved, an overnight suspension, and seven break points converted from eight on the resumption. Alexandrova is 15–22 for the season, which is a top-20 player having a bad year, and she has lost early enough often enough this season that an opponent playing with house money is a real problem. Birrell's 81–80 hard-court record is a fair rate for someone ranked 71st.
Both cases written 2026-08-31, before the first ball — frozen into the record exactly as written, whatever the result. The percentages are mine — opinions with a percent sign on. They add to 100 because tennis has no draw to hide the rounding in.
My locked pick: Ekaterina Alexandrova to advance ✓ RIGHT
“The cleanest opening win in the women's draw against a player who needed two and a half hours and a saved match point.”
Locked 2026-08-31 20:50 UTC — rendered verbatim from the pick ledger; never a fresher, hedged version
Tale of the tape
Player vitals: US Open official player feed (usopen.org) and Tennis Abstract career match logs · as of 2026-09-02.
Career head-to-head: Tennis Abstract career match logs (tour-level) · as of 2026-08-31.
Storylines
- Alexandrova beat McCartney Kessler 6-2 6-2 in 1 hour 6 minutes, winning 83% of her first-serve points.
- Birrell saved a match point on Sunday night, returned after a fourteen-hour rain delay and beat Petra Marcinko 3-6 7-6(4) 6-3 — her first US Open main-draw win at the fourth attempt.
- Birrell won the match despite losing the point count 105-102, converting seven of her eight break points.
- Alexandrova won their only meeting, 6-4 7-6(3) on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch in 2023.
- Alexandrova is 15–22 for the season despite being ranked No. 19.
Head to head
Alexandrova leads 1-0, winning their only meeting 6-4 7-6(3) on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch in 2023.
Source: Tennis Abstract career match logs (tour-level) · as of 2026-08-31.
Court & schedule: Court 15, Wednesday 2 September. The US Open posts each day's order of play the evening before; this one is on the board. (Official US Open order of play, as of 2026-09-02)
Weather: Sunday — the men's final, and the last match of the fortnight — is 78°F with showers and thunderstorms 95% likely, the wettest day of the two weeks and the one day that cannot be pushed back. Ashe closes its roof and plays on. It clears overnight: 20% Sunday night, 20% Monday, then dry and sunny from Tuesday. (National Weather Service New York forecast, as of 2026-09-13)
Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York — hard.