WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Paige Hourigan and Kenya Jones represented the Georgia Tech women’s tennis team on Wednesday in the first round of the NCAA Singles Championship at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex. Hourigan advanced to the second round with a straight set win.
SINGLES: No. 14 Hourigan opened the first set against No. 51 Giulia Pairone of Arkansas breaking the Razorback and climbing out with a 2-0 lead. Hourigan collected two breaks over Pairone in the opening set to pocket the win, 6-2. The foes were on serve in the second set at 5-5 before Pairone double faulted on break point to secure a 6-5 lead for Hourigan. The Yellow Jacket served out the match with a 7-5 second set win.
Jones opened play facing a familiar opponent as the Jacket took on Vanderbilt’s No. 10 Fernanda Contreras for the second time this week. Contreras took the first set, 6-0, but despite Jones opening with a break in the second set and pulling out with a 4-1 lead, Contreras battled back to even the set at 4-all. The Commodore sealed the win claiming the final two points for a 6-4 second set win.
UP NEXT: Continuing singles play, Hourigan will meet No. 71 Aiwen Zhu of UNLV in the second round on Thursday. Hourigan and Jones will also open doubles competition on Thursday. The top-seeded pair will face Denver’s No. 30 Bianca Mok and Julia O’Loughlin at 4 p.m. in the first round.
RESULTS
No. 14 Paige Hourigan (GT) def. No. 51 Giulia Pairone (Arkansas) 6-2, 7-5
No. 10 Fernanda Contreras (Vanderbilt) def. No. 60 Kenya Jones (GT) 6-0, 6-4
