By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, September 27, 2026
Photo credit: Hameltion/Wikimedia Commons
Friends were foes in today’s Seoul final.
In the first all-Aussie WTA final since Strasbourg in 2017, Kimberly Birrell made a big breakthrough.
The 28-year-old Birrell beat Maya Joint, 6-4, 6-2, to capture her maiden Tour-level title in Seoul.
It was just the third all-Australian final of the 21st century on the WTA Tour.
Joint, who beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon last summer, jumped out to an early 2-0 lead today.
Birrell found her range and rhythm reeling off six of the next eight games for a one-set lead.
World No. 60 Birrell broke three times in a row bursting out to a 4-1 second-set lead. Birrell served out her maiden WTA championship at 30 to close.
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