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Match Details
Fixture: (WC) Caroline Wozniacki vs (Q) Kimberly Birrell
Date: August 8, 2023
Tournament: Canadian Open 2023
Round: First round (Round of 64)
Venue: Montreal, Canada
Category: WTA 1000
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $2,788,468
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - Sportsnet, TVA Sports | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Caroline Wozniacki vs Kimberly Birrell preview
Former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki will square off against qualifier Kimberly Birrell in the first round of the 2023 Canadian Open on Tuesday.
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Wozniacki walked away from the sport after a third-round exit from the 2020 Australian Open to focus on her personal life. She won 30 titles, including the 2018 Australian Open and the 2017 WTA Finals, and claimed the No. 1 ranking for a total of 71 weeks.
Wozniacki then surprised the tennis world by announcing her return to the sport in June this year. The Canadian Open organizers handed her a wildcard to compete. She won the tournament back in 2010 and reached the final in 2017 as well. Her last appearance here was in 2019, and she lost to Iga Swiatek in the second round.
Birrell kicked off her campaign in Montreal by competing in the qualifying rounds. She faced fellow Australian Daria Saville in the first qualifier and moved past her in straight sets.
Birrell then took on Yulia Putintseva and defeated the Kazakh 6-2, 6-4. She has now qualified for a WTA 1000 tournament for just the second time in her career. This will also be her main draw debut at the Canadian Open.
Caroline Wozniacki vs Kimberly Birrell head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Caroline Wozniacki vs Kimberly Birrell odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Caroline Wozniacki vs Kimberly Birrell prediction
Wozniacki will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of fellow mother Elina Svitolina, whose comeback this year has been quite successful. But after being away from the sport for more than three years, she's likely to need some time to adjust to the grind of the tour.
Birrell is yet to make an impact on the WTA tour, though this season has been her most successful so far. She reached her maiden singles quarterfinal at the Merida Open and has won five main draw matches this year.
Given the huge gulf in their accomplishments, Wozniacki will still be considered the slight favorite in this match-up. She's kept herself in fantastic shape, and if she's able to use her athleticism to her advantage like before, the Dane should be able to get the better of Birrell.
Pick: Caroline Wozniacki to win in three sets.
