Oct. 25, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team began play in the main draw of the ITA Midwest Championships today at Michigan State University. The Irish saw action in both singles and doubles, with three Notre Dame players advancing to the round of 32 in singles and two doubles teams advancing to the round of 16.
In singles, senior tri-captain Luis Haddock (Caguas, P.R./Notre Dame H.S.), seeded fourth in the main draw and ranked 64th in the nation, took Louisville’s Jakob Gustafsson to a third set tie-breaker before prevailling, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6. Freshman Barry King (Dublin, Ireland/Gonzaga College) moved on to the round of 32, defeating Purdue’s Filip Koziell 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Senior tri-captain Matthew Scott (Oakton, Va./International School of Paris) also advanced, beating Erick Martinez of Northern Illinois in straight sets 6-1, 7-5.
In doubles action, sophomores Eric Langenkamp (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale H.S.) and Patrick Buchanan (Fullerton, Calif./Servite H.S.) topped Toledo’s Travis Curran and Cristobal Toral 9-8 (10-2) in a tiebreaker, before falling to top-seeded Dave Hippee and Alex Kasarov of Wisconsin, 8-4, in the round of 32.
Freshman Stephen Bass (Bronxville, N.Y./Iona Preparatory School) and senior Paul Hidaka (Tokyo, Japan/St. Mary’s International School) dropped an 8-4 decision to Iowa’s Chaitu Malempati and Parker Ross in the round of 64.
Two Irish doubles teams will advance to the round of 16. Haddock and freshman Ryan Keckley (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph’s H.S.) defeated IPFW’s Daniel Jackson and Michael Parker 8-3 in the round of 32, then edged out Andrew Formanczyk and Chris Mitchell of Mihigan State 9-7.
Scott and tri-captain Brent D’Amico (Castle Rock, Colo./St. Stephen’s Episcopal School), seeded fifth in the main draw and ranked 50th nationally, posted a pair of 8-4 victories to advance. The first was over Michigan’s Josef Fischer and Vineeth Gossain, followed by a win over Matt Christian and Chuck Perrin of Northwestern.
The Irish will return to the courts tomorrow in both singles and doubles action.
ITA Midwest Championships
Singles — Round of 64
(4) #64 Luis Haddock (ND) d. Jakob Gustafsson (Louisville), 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6-4)
(9) #72 Ravi Pathanjali (W. Mich.) d. Patrick Buchanan (ND), 6-3, 6-2
Chuck Perrin (Northwestern) d. Ryan Keckley (ND), 6-7 (7-5), 6-3, 6-4
Dennis Mertens (OSU) d. Stephen Bass (ND), 7-6 (9-7), 6-2
(14) Avery Ticer (Minn.) d. Eric Langenkamp (ND), 6-1, 6-3
(5) Matthew Scott (ND) d. Erick Martinez (N. Ill.), 6-1, 7-5
Barry King (ND) d. Filip Koziell (Pur.), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Doubles — Round of 64
Buchanan/Langenkamp (ND) d. Travis Curran/Cristobal Toral (Toledo), 9-8 (10-2)
Haddock/Keckley (ND) d. Daniel Jackson/Michael Parker (IPFW), 8-3
Chaitu Malempati/Parker Ross (Iowa) d. S. Bass/Paul Hidaka (ND), 8-4
(5) #50 Brent D’Amico/Scott (ND) d. Josef Fischer/Vineeth Gossain (Mich.), 8-4
Doubles — Round of 32
(1) Dave Hippee/Alex Kasarov (Wisc.) d. Buchanan/Langenkamp (ND), 8-4
Haddock/Keckley (ND) d. Andrew Formanczyk/Chris Mitchell (MSU), 9-7
(5) #50 D’Amico/Scott (ND) d. Matt Christian/Chuck Perrin (Northwestern), 8-4
*seeds for main draw in parentheses
— ND —