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Match Details
Fixture: Peyton Stearns vs Kimberly Birrell
Date: April 22, 2025
Tournament: Mutua Madrid Open
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Caja Magica, Madrid, Spain
Surface: Clay
Category: WTA 1000
Prize Money: $8,403,780
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Peyton Stearns vs Kimberly Birrell preview
USA's Peyton Stearns will face Australia's Kimberly Birrell in the first round of the 2025 Madrid Open on Tuesday (April 22).
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Stearns has lost five of her last six matches on the WTA Tour since contracting E. coli following her Dubai Tennis Championships campaign in February. The World No. 44 will be eager to turn her fortunes around in Madrid this week and improve upon her career-best result of losing in the first round of the 1000-level event.
Birrell, meanwhile, began her season outside the top 100 WTA rankings but has worked hard to put herself on the cusp of breaking into the women's top 50. Unlike her higher-ranked opponent, the World No. 61 has already secured a title in 2025. She won the W75 tournament in Brisbane two months ago, marking her seventh career title on the ITF circuit.
Peyton Stearns vs Kimberly Birrell head-to-head
Stearns and Birrell have never met on the WTA Tour, so their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.
Peyton Stearns vs Kimberly Birrell odds
All bets sourced from BetMGM.
Peyton Stearns vs Kimberly Birrell prediction
Stearns has one of the deadliest groundstrokes on the WTA Tour. The 23-year-old's shots are devoid of any topspin, which doesn't give her opponents enough time to read and track down her missile trajectories. Moreover, her flat shotmaking will serve her well at Caja Magica, as the stadium has relatively medium-paced claycourts due to the high altitude of Madrid.
Birrell has a similar style of play, with her down-the-line forehand being her biggest weapon. For what it's worth, the 26-year-old struggles with low margin and consistency on her groundstrokes. She has also never played in the main draw of the Madrid Open, meaning she has little to no experience in beating a seasoned pro like her American opponent on clay.
The keys to winning the match for both players will be to come up with smart shot placement and move each other around on the baseline. Stearns is the favorite to take this encounter, considering she has the more impressive claycourt pedigree.
Pick: Stearns to win in straight sets.
