CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After an 11-day layoff, the Gardner-Webb men's tennis team got off to a good start Sunday afternoon (3/17) against nationally ranked host UNC Charlotte. The Runnin' Bulldogs captured the doubles point before the No.66-ranked 49ers rallied in the singles competition to win the match 5-2 at Halton-Wagner Tennis Complex

Gardner-Webb falls to 12-3 overall on the season, while Charlotte improves to 11-5.  

In the double's competition, the 'Dawgs No.1 tandem of senior Eduardo Dias (Parana, Brazil) and senior Chrisjan Van Wyk (Pretoria, South Africa) got things rolling in doubles with a victory over Spencer Gray and Robbie Alex Richards, 6-2.

At No.3 doubles, the Dawgs duo of senior John Spring (Miramar Beach, Fla.) and junior Alex Lepine (Montreal, Canada) knocked off Charlotte's Frederic Schlossmann and Coy Simon, 6-1.     
    
Numa Lemieux-Monette (Montral, Canada) and freshman Jurie Terblanche (Perth, Australia) did not finish their doubles match on Court No.2.

Gardner-Webb held a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.

In the singles competition, Charlotte started its rally on Court No.4 when junior Kim Niethammer (Harrenburg, Germany) lost (0-6, 2-6) to the Niners Vasco Prata.

On Court No.5, Chrisjan Van Wyk lost (0-6, 5-7) to Charlotte's Ivan Dreycopp.

Gardner-Webb took the singles match on Court No.1 as Dias, who improved to 14-0 in singles play, beat Gray 6-3, 6-2.

Lepine (Montreal, Canada) battled in Singles No.2 before losing in three sets (6-2, 3-6,4-6) to Schlossmann.

Terblanche also lost in three sets at Singles No.5 (6-3, 1-6, 2-6) to Coy.

Charlotte clinched the match point on Court No.3 when the Lemieux-Monette lost to the 49ers Iturbe (5-7,2-6).

"We won a quick doubles point to take the lead," said Gardner-Webb head tennis coach Mike Griffith. "We also won the first set in three of our singles matches but couldn't finish them. Credit Charlotte for switching the momentum and rallying from the early deficit to get the win. We are looking forward to improving going into conference play on Tuesday."
 
Up Next — Gardner-Webb will open Big South Conference play on Tuesday (3/19) when the Runnin' Bulldogs host Presbyterian at the Webb Tennis Center at 2:30PM. The Dawgs will continue conference play on Friday (3/22) when they visit Longwood for a 2PM match in Farmville, VA. Gardner-Webb will close out a busy week with a non-conference match at UNC Greensboro at 2PM on Saturday (3/23).