Remarkable return after second ACL injury for Saville before falling in second round of Birmingham Classic qualifying

Daria Saville made her return to the WTA tour after a 9-month recovery and secured a victory before being eliminated in the qualifying rounds of the Birmingham Classic.

The Australian player competed in her first match of 2023 and showed positive signs regarding her level of play. In the first round of the WTA Birmingham Open qualifiers, she defeated the 11th seed Madison Brengle 6-4, 0-6, 6-2.

Saville had not played a match since the Tokyo Open in September 2022, where she retired after just one game in her first-round match against Naomi Osaka. She suffered a torn cruciate ligament that prevented her from playing until this week, nine months later.

This is not the first time injuries have affected Saville. After maintaining a position around the top 30 for several years, she experienced a significant drop in the rankings due to injuries, which pushed her outside the top 400.

Just when her confidence seemed to be returning, the injury in Tokyo occurred, causing her to fall out of the top 50 and drop outside the top 200 in the rankings.

Although she triumphed against Brengle, Saville didn’t qualify for the main draw as she lost in the final round of the qualifiers against the 5th seed Cristina Bucsa. The Australian player will now focus on her return to Wimbledon, where she will enter with a protected ranking.