MSU’s Antonaki Posts Upset To Move Into NCAA Singles Second Round
Published 7:00 am Tuesday, May 25, 2021
ORLANDO, Fla. – In the first round of the 2021 NCAA Singles Championship Sunday, Mississippi State women’s tennis’ 33rd-ranked Emma Antonaki upset 12th-ranked Giulia Pairone of Florida State, a 9-16 seed, in straight-set fashion with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph.
Antonaki will next face South Carolina’s 30th-ranked Mia Horvit in Monday’s second round (time TBA) at the USTA National Campus in Orlando. Horvit defeated No. 102 Paola Delgado from VCU 7-5, 6-0 in the first round Sunday. Despite both being members of SEC teams, Antonaki and Horvit have never met.
Sunday’s victory over Pairone marked the highest-ranked triumph of Antonaki’s Bulldog career as she improved to 17-5 overall in singles this year. The win also made her the fifth player in program history to advance to the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship.
After going down 2-0 early in the first set, the Athens, Greece, native rallied to secure the first set 6-4. Antonaki would find herself down a break twice in the second set as well, but was able to remain focused in each instance to quickly earn each break back and go on for the 6-4, 6-4 win, breaking Pairone in the final game of the match.
“That was one of the best wins I had this season,” Antonaki stated after the match. “I was committing and accelerating well on my shots, and I maintained my focus for the most part in the match. I’m looking forward to the next match tomorrow.”
Live Video Streaming – TennisONE App
Tennis ONE is your home for FREE livestream coverage of the 2021 NCAA Division I Individual Championships from May 23-May 28. Both the singles and doubles tournaments will be housed in the app, giving fans the opportunity to join the action from anywhere in the world. All matches will be available on the TennisONE app.
Live Stats
Fans can also follow all matches throughout the tournament via live statistics.
For more information on Mississippi State women’s tennis team, visit HailState.com and follow “HailStateWT” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
2021 NCAA Women’s Singles Championship
May 23, 2021
Orlando, Fla. – USTA National Campus
First Round – #33 Emma Antonaki (Mississippi State) def. #12 Giulia Pairone (Florida State) [9-16] 6-4, 6-4.
