ELON, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb women's tennis team began its fall schedule with three days of competition at the Elon Fall Tennis Invitational this weekend. Newcomer Teodora Ristic won a singles bracket championship and the doubles team of Valentine Limauge and Manon Delsol were the Gold bracket runner-ups.

T. Ristic, the only new face on the Runnin' Bulldogs' roster, competed in the Phoenix Singles bracket and won her first two matches. She earned a pair of two set victories over Elon's Nicole Shiau (7-5, 6-1) and Erika Chavarria (6-2, 6-2). She played Zeba Jamal to end play on Saturday and advanced to the championship of the bracket where she defeated her teammate, Delsol, 6-3, 6-1.

In doubles play, Limauge and Delsol cruised to the championship match in the Gold bracket. Through the first two matches, they outscored opponents from Emory (Ga.) and Presbyterian by a combined 12-4 score. To reach the championship, they defeated Chavarria and Sovic from Mercer, 7-5 and ended the tournament as the runner-ups in the bracket.

Daniela Naupari and Miljana Ristic both competed in the Maroon Singles bracket, and Naupari began the fall of senior year by rallying for a three-set victory over UNCG's Ericka Barquero, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. The following morning she fell to ETSU's Alejandra Morales before playing a conference foe in Anastasia Belyaeva on Sunday morning and fell, 7-6 (3), 3-0.

Ristic suffered back-to-back losses in the flight, falling in three sets to open play despite taking the first set. She fell to Elon's Victoria Saldh in straight sets on Saturday morning. She lost to Defne Olcay on Sunday morning in her final match of the weekend.

Naupari and Ristic played No. 1 doubles in the spring of 2018 and teamed up again this weekend. The pair won their first round matchup in the Maroon Doubles bracket against Elon, 6-4, before falling to a team from UNCG. In consolation play, they won a match against Radford, 7-5, to finish 2-1 overall.

Mayumi Saguchi had the best start of any Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs with victories over opponents from UNCG and Elon in the Powell Singles bracket. She defeated Arianna Chan in the first round of the phoenix singles bracket, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (6) before defeating NCCU's Hannah Gaines who withdrew due to injury. She suffered back-to-back losses to end competition, losing to Presbyterian's Katie Thompson in the semifinals of the winners bracket and Sam Calais on Sunday morning. Despite the losses, Saguchi was able to push both matches to three sets.

Limauge also competed in the Powell Singles bracket, but suffered an opening round loss to Mercer's Lauren Rich. Limaugue won the middle set, 6-4, but Rich took sets one and three, 7-6(1) and 6-4. In the consolation bracket, she played Alexis Cramer and had to withdraw.

Delsol cruised to a first round win over Radford's Jeanine Acierto, 6-2, 6-3 in the Phoenix Singles bracket. She needed three sets to defeat UNCG's Emily Ory but was victorious, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. To conclude Saturday, she faced off against Sofi Edo of Elon and cruised to a 6-4, 6-3 win to advance to the championship where she faced her teammate, Teodora Ristic. Delsol fell to Ristic in three sets.

In the Oak bracket, sophomore Adrienne Vesely got the better of Radford's Marielle Leahy in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. In the quarterfinals, she fell to Emory's Katelyn Thomas but wrapped up play with a 6-3, 6-2 win over North Carolina Central's Emily Pena.

Vesely teamed up with T. Ristic in the Gold Doubles bracket and won two matches in the consolation bracket. They won both matches 6-2 and defeated pairs from UNCG and Elon.

Gardner-Webb's final doubles pairing of Mayumi Saguchi and Milica Panic competed in the Powell bracket. The duo won their first match of doubles play, 6-4, but fell 6-1 in the semifinals. In the third place match on Sunday morning, they earned a 6-3, 6-1 victory over a split team from USC Upstate and Mercer.

The 'Dogs will not compete again until October 4-5 when they play at Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C.