MONROE, La. – The ULM tennis team had four players advance to the finals of their respective singles bracket during the first day of the Warhawk Invitational at Heard Stadium on Friday.
"It was a good first day overall," ULM head tennis coach Jessica Giuggioli said. "We are looking forward to more good competition tomorrow."
In the gold bracket, it is an all-ULM final after sophomore Hala Badwy and senior Drousile Dzeubou each won a pair of matches on Friday. Badwy defeated the Ragin' Cajuns Christina Jordan, 6-2, 6-4, and then topped the Cajuns' Clara Mantaux, 6-1, 6-2, to reach the final. Dzeubou rolled past Grambling's Ana Ochoa, 6-2, 6-1, and topped the Cajuns' Floriane Picaut, 6-2, 6-3, to advance to meet Badwy. The two Warhawks square off at 9 a.m. Saturday morning on court three.
In the burgundy bracket, senior Madalina Grigoriu is in Saturday's final after defeating the Cajuns' Lucie Raquin, 6-1, 6-1. Grigoriu had a first-round bye. She will face the Cajuns' Dana Radovanovic at 9 a.m. Saturday on court four in the finals.
Junior Jimena Paula Garbino lost her first-round match in the Burgundy bracket to the Cajuns' Isabella Kierkegaard, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Garbino rebounded with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Grambling's Mikaila Coleman. Garbino faces Picaut in a consolation match at 9 a.m. Saturday on court one.
In the black bracket, freshman Daniela Hernandez will play in the final after defeating the Ragin' Cajuns' Anna Harvey, 6-4, 6-2. Hernandez had a first-round bye. She will face the Cajuns' Babette Burgersdijk at 9 a.m. Saturday on court two.
Sophomore Jelena Lopicic won her first-round match over Grambling's Natalie Malone, 6-4, 6-2, before falling to Burgersdijk, 6-0, 6-3. Lopicic meets Harvey at 9 a.m. Saturday on court five.
In doubles, all three Warhawk teams will play consolation matches on Saturday.
Grigoriu and Lopicic won a play-in match over Grambling's Danna Galeano and Coleman, 6-1. They then lost to the Cajuns' Picaut and Jordan, 6-3. They will face Grambling's Malone and Ochoa at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Dzeubou and Hernandez lost their quarterfinal match to the Cajuns' Harvey and Burgersdijk, 6-3. They will take on Grambling's Paige Stanford and Brittney Combest at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Badwy and Garbino lost to the Cajuns' Raquin and Radovanovic, 6-3. The duo will face Grambling's Galeano and Coleman at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
