UNC women’s tennis star Fiona Crawley is taking the Big Apple by storm.

Crawley qualified for the U.S. Open on Saturday, punching her ticket to the main draw of the year’s final Grand Slam tournament. Crawley already clinched her spot in the doubles draw with partner Carson Tanguilig, by virtue of the pair’s NCAA doubles championship win this summer.

Crawley won three matches this past week to qualify, including a second-round match which was suspended overnight due to rain. The delay came at the most excruciating possible time: Crawley and opponent Timea Babos of Hungary were tied 5-5 in a first-to-10 third-set tiebreaker. Crawley won the final five points of that tiebreaker (her third tiebreak win in two matches) and dominated Australia’s Kimberly Birrell in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday to advance on to the main draw. Crawley is one of just two active college players to reach the main draw.

Now, Crawley is expected to face Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round of the tournament on Tuesday. The match is tentatively scheduled for 3 p.m. Pavlyuchenkova, 32, is 11 years older than Crawley and has been on the pro tour since December of 2005. She has been ranked as high as No. 11 in the world and reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in 2011.

Qualifying for the U.S. Open in singles and doubles is just another accomplishment on Crawley’s loaded resume. The senior from San Antonio is the reigning ITA National Player of the Year, ACC Player of the Year and Honda Award winner, and has won three ITA indoor national championships in addition to UNC’s 2023 NCAA title. She holds a 123-11 career singles record with the Tar Heels.

 

Featured image via UNC Women’s Tennis on Twitter

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