University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Jones Survives, Advances At NCAA Singles Championship
May 23, 2018 | Women's Tennis
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - No. 2 seed Makenna Jones won a three-set thriller in the opening round of the NCAA Women's Tennis Singles Championship on Wednesday afternoon from the Wake Forest Tennis Center.Â
Jones, the No. 2 ranked singles player in the nation, got out to a sluggish start by dropping the opening set to No. 35 Gabby Smith of Southern Cal. However, the 2018 ACC Championship MVP rallied to take the second set, 6-4, and then hung on in a third-set tiebreaker 7-2 to win the match in her NCAA singles debut.Â
The Tar Heel sophomore takes her 18-match winning streak into Thursday's second round contest with Duke's 28th ranked Kelly Chen, the 2018 ACC Freshman of the Year, at 9:30 a.m.
Jones defeated Chen in a three-setter back on Feb. 11 at the ITA Indoor National Team Championship event that Carolina eventually won the following day against Pepperdine.Â
No. 26 Alle Sanford was upended in a Wednesday morning match against No. 33 Jada Hart of UCLA, 6-4, 7-5. No. 46 Sara Daavettila also lost in straight sets to No. 11 Astra Sharma of Vanderbilt, 6-1, 6-0.Â
The women's doubles championship gets underway on Thursday. No. 2 seed Jessie Aney and Alexa Graham will face Vanderbilt's Sharma and Fernanda Contreras at 4:30 p.m.
NCAA Singles Championship
First Round - Wednesday, May 23
#33 Jada Hart (UCLA) def. #26 Alle Sanford (UNC), 6-4, 7-5
[2] #2 Makenna Jones (UNC) def. No. 35 Gabby Smith (USC) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
[9-16] #11 Astra Sharma (Vandy) def. #46 Sara Daavettila (UNC) 6-1, 6-0
Second Round - Thursday, May 24
[2] #2 Makenna Jones (UNC) vs. #28 Kelly Chen (Duke)Â
NCAA Doubles Championship
First Round - Thursday, May 24
[2] #2 Aney/Graham (UNC) vs. Contreras/Sharma (Vandy)
Jones, the No. 2 ranked singles player in the nation, got out to a sluggish start by dropping the opening set to No. 35 Gabby Smith of Southern Cal. However, the 2018 ACC Championship MVP rallied to take the second set, 6-4, and then hung on in a third-set tiebreaker 7-2 to win the match in her NCAA singles debut.Â
The Tar Heel sophomore takes her 18-match winning streak into Thursday's second round contest with Duke's 28th ranked Kelly Chen, the 2018 ACC Freshman of the Year, at 9:30 a.m.
Jones defeated Chen in a three-setter back on Feb. 11 at the ITA Indoor National Team Championship event that Carolina eventually won the following day against Pepperdine.Â
No. 26 Alle Sanford was upended in a Wednesday morning match against No. 33 Jada Hart of UCLA, 6-4, 7-5. No. 46 Sara Daavettila also lost in straight sets to No. 11 Astra Sharma of Vanderbilt, 6-1, 6-0.Â
The women's doubles championship gets underway on Thursday. No. 2 seed Jessie Aney and Alexa Graham will face Vanderbilt's Sharma and Fernanda Contreras at 4:30 p.m.
NCAA Singles Championship
First Round - Wednesday, May 23
#33 Jada Hart (UCLA) def. #26 Alle Sanford (UNC), 6-4, 7-5
[2] #2 Makenna Jones (UNC) def. No. 35 Gabby Smith (USC) 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
[9-16] #11 Astra Sharma (Vandy) def. #46 Sara Daavettila (UNC) 6-1, 6-0
Second Round - Thursday, May 24
[2] #2 Makenna Jones (UNC) vs. #28 Kelly Chen (Duke)Â
NCAA Doubles Championship
First Round - Thursday, May 24
[2] #2 Aney/Graham (UNC) vs. Contreras/Sharma (Vandy)
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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