Mirjam Björklund pulled off a major upset in the qualifying round for the Australian Open, the year's first Grand Slam tournament in tennis. The 26-year-old Swede, ranked 759th in the world, defeated the top-seeded player in the qualifying round, American Alycia Parks, in two straight sets, 6–2, 6–3.
Björklund has had a few tough years behind her. First, a foot injury kept her out of play for a long time, and in February last year, she was forced to have a cyst removed from her neck.
After her win over 68th-ranked Parks, Croatian Lucija Ciric Bagaric awaits in the next round, on Tuesday night Swedish time. A win there and Björklund will be through to the qualifying final for a spot in the Australian Open.
