Jessie Aney advances to quarterfinals of Las Vegas Freeman Memorial Championship

Senior Jessie Aney of the North Carolina women's tennis team had a strong showing before bowing out in the quarterfinals of the Freeman Memorial Championship in Las Vegas this weekend. 

What happened?

Aney opened the competition on Friday by defeating Stanford’s Kimberly Yee. After dropping the first set, 6-4, Aney went on to win the next two sets, 6-2, 6-1, to seal an impressive comeback victory. She then advanced to face UCLA’s Jada Hart in the Round of 16, who she beat in a, 6-4, 6-3, straight-set victory. 

Aney’s run came to an end the next day after falling to Adrijana Lekaj of Pepperdine, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, in the quarterfinals. 

Senior Chloe Ouellet-Pizer also competed over the weekend, but lost to No. 53 Petra Granic of Texas in the opening round. Ouellet-Pizer did collect a consolation win in straight sets. 

Aney and Ouellet-Pizer also competed as teammates in the doubles competition. The two were defeated, 6-1, by UCLA’s duo of Hart and Elysia Bolton.

Who stood out?

Aney had terrific performances in each of her two victories. She used a four-set winning streak to help her reach the quarterfinals of the tournament. She dug herself out of a big hole to win her opening match. Aney went onto dominate her next opponent in straight sets before being defeated in a hard-fought battle in the next round. 

When was it decided?

Aney’s ability to overcome a slow start helped her gain enough momentum to fuel her to two well-earned wins over quality competition. She showed grit and determination throughout the tournament and that’s what kept her alive until the second day of match play. 

Ouellet-Pizer was put into a similar situation in her opening match. However, she was unable to spark a comeback, winning zero games in the second set. This led to her early exit.

Why does it matter?

Aney has had a very strong start to her senior season. She came into this match undefeated in both singles and doubles match play. She also had failed to drop a set. While both those streaks came to end in Las Vegas, Aney’s solid 2019 continues after performing well in all three of her matches.

Ouellet-Pizer has also had a similar start to the her season. She did not lose a single set during her singles matches against Elon and Charlotte. Unlike Aney, she did not have much success in Las Vegas. 

Against a highly ranked competitor, Ouellet-Pizer struggled to stay competitive. She ended up getting swept in the second set. She did come away with a single victory in the consolation round to salvage something positive out of the weekend. 

When do they play next?

North Carolina hosts East Carolina on Wednesday, Jan. 20th, at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. 

@ryanheller23

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