WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The William & Mary women's tennis team enjoyed a memorable start to the 2019 season, rolling to a 6-1 win over in-state foe Richmond on Tuesday afternoon at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center. In head coach Toni Bickford's Tribe dual-match debut, the Green and Gold swept doubles and tallied five of six singles matches in straight sets to win its fifth-straight season opener.
 
Senior Clara Tanielian, juniors Rosie Cheng, Natalia Perry and Charlotte Madson as well as freshman Mila Saric were all perfect in both singles and doubles action against the visiting Spiders.
 
Saric enjoyed a strong dual-match debut as the Tribe rookie posted an unblemished 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 6 singles over Ana Ramirez to push the Tribe lead to 2-0. Madson picked up her first clinching singles victory winning the final two games at the fifth spot in a 6-0, 7-5 triumph over Helene Heiberg.
 
How It Happened
- The Tribe swept doubles to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Junior Natalia Perry and freshman Mila Saric gave W&M the early advantage with a 6-2 win over Lyndell Giffeing and Helene Heiberg at the No. 3 position.
- The Tribe's top duo of junior Rosie Cheng and senior Clara Tanielian dropped Emily Dunbar and Kiana Marshall, 6-4, to clinch the doubles point. Senior Lauren Goodman and junior Charlotte Madson rounded out the pairs sweep with a 6-2 win over Lea Owens and Desi Zlateva at No. 2.
- Saric made a memorable dual-match debut for the Green and Gold with a dominating win at the No. 6 singles spot to increase the Tribe lead to 2-0. She did not drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 triumph over UR senior Ana Ramirez.
- In a match-up of reigning league players of the year, Cheng dropped just two games in topping Dunbar, 6-0, 6-2, at the top spot. Cheng was the CAA Player of the Year in 2018, while Dunbar took the Atlantic 10 co-Performer of the Year honor last season.
- After the Spiders got on the board with a win at No. 4, Madson picked up her first career clinching victory in straight-sets at the fifth singles post. The Tribe junior rolled to a 6-0 win in the first set over the Spiders' Helene Heiberg, before winning the final two games of the second set for a 7-5 triumph.
- Tanielian extended the Tribe's lead to 5-1 with a straight-sets win at No. 3. After going 9-1 at the spot in 2018, the Green and Gold senior topped Dessi Zlateva, 6-2, 6-3, to improve to 5-2 on the year.
- Junior Natalia Perry rounded out the Tribe win with a 6-4, 7-6 (5) triumph over Kiana Marshall at the No. 2 spot. Both players were returning all-conference first team picks from last season.
 
Notes
The Tribe won its 45th-straight match over Richmond and improved to 46-1 all-time in the series … The Spiders have not won in the series since 1979-80 and W&M is 29-0 at home against UR … The Green and Gold topped Richmond by a 6-1 scoreline for the sixth meeting in a row … Head coach Toni Bickford picked up her first win after taking over the Tribe program in September … W&M improved to 34-5 in season openers since 1981, including a 23-1 mark when those openers have come at home … The Tribe won its ninth-straight home opener and its fifth-straight opener overall … The Green and Gold upped its mark to 36-3 in home openers since 1981 … In doubles, the Tribe's top pair and No. 3 tandem played together for the first time in collegiate competition … Senior Lauren Goodman and junior Charlotte Madson improved to 2-1 this season as a pair with the win at No. 2 doubles … Freshman Mila Saric evened her season ledger at 5-5 with her first collegiate dual-match win … Junior Rosie Cheng picked up her fourth win this season and her 12th career win at the No. 1 position … Dating back to last season, Cheng won her fourth-straight dual matches … Madson picked up her first collegiate dual-match win and in the process her first career clincher … It marked Madson's third win of the season … Senior Clara Tanielian improved to 5-2 on the year and posted her fifth-straight dual-match win dating back to last season … Junior Natalia Perry picked up her team-leading seventh singles win.
 
Up Next
The Tribe returns to action when it travels to Charlotte, N.C., to take on reigning Big South Champions Winthrop on Sunday, Jan. 20, at 11 a.m.
 
William & Mary 6, Richmond 1
Singles
No. 1 – Rosie Cheng (W&M) def. Emily Dunbar (UR) – 6-0, 6-2
No. 2 – Natalia Perry (W&M) vs. Kiana Marshall (UR) – 6-4, 7-6 (5)
No. 3 – Clara Tanielian (W&M) def. Dessi Zlateva (UR) – 6-2, 6-3
No. 4 – Lea Owens (UR) def. Vitoria Okuyama (W&M) – 6-2, 6-4
No. 5 – Charlotte Madson (W&M) def. Helene Heiberg (UR) – 6-0, 7-5
No. 6 – Mila Saric (W&M) def. Ana Ramirez (UR) – 6-0, 6-0
Finishing Order: 6, 1, 4, 5*, 3, 2
 
Doubles
No. 1 – Cheng/Tanielian (W&M) def. Dunbar/Marshall (UR) – 6-4
No. 2 – Goodman/Madson (W&M) def. Owens/Zlateva (UR) – 6-2
No. 3 – Perry/Saric (W&M) def. Giffening/Heiberg (UR) – 6-2
Finishing Order: 3, 1*, 2