Oct. 28, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Notre Dame senior Luis Haddock (Caguas, P.R./Notre Dame H.S.) and freshman Ryan Keckley (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph’s H.S.) lost 8-2 to the Illinois team of Michael Calkins and Chris Martin in the doubles final of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Championships Tuesday afternoon in the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility. The loss ended the Irish men’s tennis fall season, and Notre Dame will return to action on Jan. 17 in its dual-match opener at Indiana. The Irish open their spring home slate on Jan. 23 vs. Texas A&M.
Haddock and Keckley, one of the 9-16 seeds, lost the first four games of the match to the third-seeded pair and were never able to recover.
“When you get behind early against an experienced team, it is really difficult to recover,” said Irish assistant coach Todd Doebler of the match. “It was great for Luis and Ryan to make the final, though, because it gives them something to build on for next semester.”
The Irish team finished the fall with a 7-2 record. Its only other loss was an 8-5 defeat vs. Fisher and Hazley of LSU, the nation’s No. 7 team.
Haddock and Keckley were the first Notre Dame players to reach the doubles final of the Midwest Championships since Brian Patterson and Jakub Pietrowski won the title in 1997.
ITA Midwest Championships
Doubles — Championship
[3] Michael Calkins/Chris Martin (Illinois) d. [9-16] Luis Haddock/Ryan Keckley (ND) 8-2
Note: Tournament seeding in parentheses followed by national ranking.