March 1, 2009
MADISON, Wisc. – The Irish men’s tennis dropped a 4-3 decision to the Badgers of Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon. The Irish won the doubles point and also got singles victories from Casey Watt (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) and David Anderson (Sandwich, Mass./Sandwich). With the loss, Notre Dame moves to 7-7 on the year.
The match came down to the last singles contest, but sophomore Daniel Stahl (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) was outlasted at third singles by Patrick Pohlmann in a three-set marathon, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5).
Notre Dame jumped out to a 1-0 lead as they swept doubles play. At first doubles, 13th-ranked Brett Helgeson (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) and Tyler Davis (Nashville, Tenn./Father Ryan HS) downed Moritz Baumann and Marek Michalicka, 8-6. At second doubles, Stephen Havens (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Watt teamed to beat Patrick Pohlmann and Luke Rassow-Kantor, 8-5. At No. 3 doubles, Matt Johnson (Portage, Mich./Portage) and freshman Niall Fitzgerald (Wicklow, Ireland/Blackrock College) took out Michael Dierberger and Michael Muskievicz, 9-8 (7).
At second singles, Baumann defeated Havens, 6-4, 6-2, to even the score at 1-1. Then Watt, playing at No. 4 singles, restored the Irish lead with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Rassow-Kantor. Watt has now won three straight singles matches to improve to 10-5 on the season.
Anderson extended the Irish lead to 3-1 when he downed Muskievicz at fifth singles, 6-2, 6-3, leveling his singles mark to 3-3 on the season. But Wisconsin’s Michalick edged Wisconsin closer with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Helgeson at No. 1 singles. Marrack then produced the third tie when he knocked off Samuel Keeton (Kansas City, Mo./The Pembroke Hill School) at sixth singles, 7-5, 6-4. Pohlmann completed the Badger comeback with his win at third singles.
The Irish return home to play host to the Wolverines of Michigan on Wenesday, March 4, with the match scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. The match will be played inside Notre Dame’s Eck Tennis Pavilion.
#39 Wisconsin 4, #25 Notre Dame 3Nielsen Tennis Stadium - Madison, Wisc.
Singles competitionNo. 1: No. 60 Marek Michalicka (UW) def. No. 18 Brett Helgeson (ND) 6-1, 6-4No. 2: No. 36 Moritz Baumann (UW) def. Stephen Havens (ND) 6-4, 6-2No. 3: Patrick Pohlmann (UW) def. No. 122 Daniel Stahl (ND) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5)No. 4: Casey Watt (ND) def. Luke Rassow-Kantor (UW) 6-2, 6-4No. 5: David Anderson (ND) def. Michael Muskievicz (UW) 6-2, 6-3No. 6: Peter Marrack (UW) def. Samuel Keeton (ND) 7-5, 6-4
Doubles competitionNo. 1: No. 13 Brett Helgeson/Tyler Davis (ND) def. No. 18 Marek Michalicka/Moritz Baumann (UW) 8-6No. 2: Casey Watt/Stephen Havens (ND) def. Luke Rassow-Kantor/Patrick Pohlmann (UW) 8-5No. 3: Naill Fitzgerald/Matt Johnson (ND) def. Michael Muskievicz/Michael Dierberger (UW) 9-8 (7)
Match Notes:Wisconsin 8-2; National ranking #39Notre Dame 7-7; National ranking #25Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,4,5,1,6,3)
— ND —