Hourigan all set for another serving

COURTSIDE STATESIDE: Wanganui tennis ace Paige Hourigan (left) and her Georgia Tech doubles partner Kendal Woodard are ranked 21 in the States. 110815WCSUPPAIGE-HOURIGAN2

TURAKINA tennis ace Paige Hourigan is loving her new lifestyle Stateside and is eager to return after a two-month holiday at home.

The 18-year-old has just completed her first year at Georgia Tech, where she studies on a full tennis scholarship.

Academically, Hourigan has done well after switching courses from chemical engineering to business studies. But it is on the tennis court that she is excelling. She is ranked in the top 50 college singles players in America and 21 in doubles.

Her last tournament before returning home to visit mum Tracy and dad Phil Hourigan at the family home in Turakina was the NCAA (National College Athletics Association) Tennis Championships in Waco, Texas. "This is the big end-of-season championship for those college players who have done well throughout the year. I managed to qualify for both the singles and doubles," Hourigan said yesterday. "Unfortunately, I was out of both in the first round. I was recovering from an ankle injury and had limited movement."

Hourigan had a stellar season, particularly on the doubles circuit since being teamed up with Kendal Woodard. "Kendal is one of the top ranked doubles players in America and we just clicked from the first time we played together."

However, despite winning the first set, the Georgia Tech duo were eliminated from the NCAA Doubles Championship after a three-set loss to No5 Zsofi Susanyi and Klara Fabikova of California.

The partners had been tested playing a competitive schedule to help prepare them for the championships. They matched up against a number of ranked opponents and posted an impressive 16-3 record, 8-1 in the ACC, which earned them the ranking of the No21 doubles pair in the country.

"My Georgia Tech coach Rodney Harmon is pleased with my progress this year. I'm loving it over there.

"My teammates are fun positive people who are all keen to improve, and that makes you want to achieve," Hourigan said.

"I'm happy with my studies too. I switched to business studies after a difficult first semester and improved through the year. Chemical engineering was way too tough."

Hourigan caught up with cousin Kyle Butters since returning home and was able to talk to him about college tennis. Butters flies out to Idaho this week to start his own four-year full tennis scholarship with Boise State University.

"I caught up with Kyle a few days ago and had a bit of a it round and he's really pumped about going.

"I'm really looking forward to getting back too.

"Since I've been home I've been keeping my fitness up and playing tennis probably twice a week, which is a lot less than in college. I'm looking forward to returning and starting my sophomore year," Hourigan said.