Already a pretty big deal on the local tennis scene, Avery Alexander is taking full advantage of the opportunity to expand her reputation on a larger scale.

Competing at the 2023 Under 14 Fischer Outdoor National Championships in Laval, the Sudbury product battled her way through into Flight #1 quarter-final action before being eliminated - but will play in the Girls Doubles semi-finals on Friday with partner Sophie Michelle Diment.

Part of a field of twenty teams, the Alexander - Diment duo easily outscored Mariya Marinova and Sophia Ara Montemurro (6-2, 6-1) in round one but were pushed more in round two by Laurence Demers and Andrea Taylor, prevailing 6-4, 3-6, 10-4.

With that battle out of the way, the girls then took care of Amy Shen and Isabella Ruyu Yan in workmanlike fashion (6-4, 6-4), setting up a semi-final clash with Charlie Gabrielle Celebrini and Amy Lu Friday at 1:00 p.m.

Representing Advantage Tennis International (Vaughan/Woodbridge) at the event, Alexander survived a close call in singles pool play earlier in the week, earning the tie-breaker to advance to a champs flight qualification encounter.

Alexander was one of three players in group seven (U14 ladies singles play consisted of eight pools of five players from across the country) to finish at 2-2, beating Joni Faye Colburne (6-4, 6-4) and Maya Iacoban (6-2, 6-4) but falling to Rachel Wu (2-6, 6-1, 6-7) and Laurence Demers (2-6, 6-4, 4-6).

Thankfully, her games percentage of 53.2% (taking more than half of her sets - 50-44) was enough to give her a shot at the top eight in Canada. In yet another three set battle, Alexander lost out to Charlie Gabrielle Celebrini 7-5, 1-6, 3-6.

Bumped into Flight #1 play, the northern Ontario talent dropped a 2-6, 2-6 decision to Alyssa Beltei in one of four quarter-final matches in that bracket.

The teenager who is likely to spend some time this winter in Florida continuing to develop her game warmed up for the U14 nationals by participating in the U16 tournament roughly one week earlier.