SAN DIEGO – San Diego State’s Jo-Yee Chan went head-to-head against USC’s Jana Hossam Salah in the ITA Southwest Regional Championships singles semifinals on Monday at the Aztec Tennis Center, battling against the Trojan for a bid to the NCAA Singles Championships, but falling in three sets.
The Aztec had won four straight contests since Friday, taking down CSUN’s Angela Ho (6-4, 7-5), UC San Diego’s Olivia Allegre (6-4, 6-3), Loyola Marymount’s Lidia Gonzalez (6-3, 6-1) and USC’s Eugenia Zozaya Menendez (6-3, 4-6, 6-1).
Chan came up short in the first set on Monday, falling 6-3 to Salah. The senior gained momentum in the must-win second set, earning a 6-4 victory. The match ultimately went to the Trojan, who took the third set 6-3.
“It was a tough loss today for Jo-Yee,” said Head Coach Nicolas Vinel. “I know she really wanted it. I’m sure it’s going to hurt right now, but she’s going to look back and know she’s doing the right things and preparing herself in the right way. Hopefully, it’s going to set her up well for the spring. She’s been playing very well all summer and fall, so she’s on the right path.”
“I didn’t come out the way I wanted to,” said Chan. “It was a tough first set, but I got it back in the second and put up a good fight. I just have to turn it around for tomorrow. No matter how hard this was for me, I need to come out fresh and with better energy and do the best I can.”
Chan will return to the Aztec Tennis Center on Tuesday where she will compete against Arizona State’s Emilija Tverijonaite for a podium finish at 9:30 a.m. PT.
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