Australian Open star breaks down in press conference after being left rattled

A rule change in the tournament left her feeling 'rattled' after she ended up being defeated by world number 128.

Australian tennis player Birrell was overcome with emotion following a difficult opening-round loss at the Australian Open.

The 26-year-old earned her spot in the main draw through qualifying, but she faced an unexpected challenge when her original opponent, world No.16 Anna Kalinskaya, withdrew just before their scheduled match.

Kalinskaya's last-minute withdrawal left Birrell "rattled," as lucky loser Eva Lys stepped in as her replacement.

Lys made the most of her opportunity, delivering a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over Birrell in just 70 minutes.

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Struggling to find her form against the world No.128, Birrell showed visible frustration on the court and later broke down in tears when she spoke to the media.

"Obviously super disappointed to not play my best today," Birrell admitted.

"It was a tough situation. If I could play the match again, I would love that. I think it could have gone differently, but you know, it is what it is."

Birrell explained that it was challenging to adjust to the sudden change of opponent but took full responsibility for her performance.

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"I had prepared to play Anna. She's a really amazing player. I knew that I was in for a battle against her, and I had done my research and spoke a lot with my team," she said.

"To find out that she withdrew and that I was playing someone completely different, it did rattle me, unfortunately. But, in saying that, she was in the same position as me.

"I take responsibility for not handling that. I didn't have my best day... it felt like it just got away from me. It's something that I can definitely learn from."

Fighting back tears, Birrell addressed the emotional weight of the moment. "Sorry, I didn't want to cry," she said.

"Obviously I'm an emotional person. I'm human. I put a lot of hard work and effort into this sport, and then to obviously also play some really good matches and then have a day like today is a hard pill to swallow.

"I definitely don't want this to be the memory that I take from this AO swing. I want to remember the good matches and amazing times I've had with my family and the crowd."

Despite the singles loss, Birrell remains in the tournament, having received a wildcard for the women's doubles alongside compatriot Olivia Gadecki.

The pair will face Aleksandra Krunic and Nina Stojanovic in their opening match.

The 26-year-old expressed her intention to process the disappointment before focusing on the doubles.

"I want to get all of this out and feel the disappointment before picking myself up for the doubles" she said.

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