ORLANDO, Fla. – Senior tennis player Page Freeman was alerted late Sunday night that the first alternate for the NCAA Women’s Singles Championship Tournament would indeed be taking the court Monday morning. Freeman was matched up against Florida State’s Anna Arkadianou. Arkadianou entered the match ranked 64th according to ITA Tennis, one spot above Freeman.
How It Happened
Freeman entered the match with an overall record of 20-13, playing at the top flight for the Fighting Irish all season long. Arkadianou was 15-14 for the Seminoles, playing the majority of her matches at the top flight. When the team’s met previously this season, Freeman and Arkadianou didn’t matchup on the singles courts, but Freeman and Maria Olivia Castedo earned a 6-3 win over Arkardianou and her partner Ellie Schoppe.
Freeman wasted no time in the first set, racing out to a 6-1 victory. The senior kept that momentum rolling to start the second set, going up 5-1 before Arkadianou started to put it together. Arkadianou went on to win the next five-straight points, going up 6-5. After Freeman battled to even them match, Arkadianou earned the win in the tie-breaker set at 7-5. Freeman found herself in a similar position in the third set. Leading 5-1, the Irish allowed back-to-back points before shutting the door. Freeman took the final set and advances in the tournament with a 6-1, 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory.
Up Next
Freeman is back in action against Tuesday as she’ll take on the 45th-ranked player in the country in Carly Briggs from the University of Florida.