Sept. 16, 2011
CHICAGO, Ill. – The Notre Dame men’s tennis squad won five doubles contests and four singles matches on day one of the season-opening Illini Invitational in Chicago, Ill. The invitational, which is hosted by the University of Illinois, offers the Irish a chance to play on clay courts.
Notre Dame’s doubles tandems went 5-3 on day one with victories over teams from Texas and Alabama. The Irish were a combined 4-0 in doubles against the Crimson Tide.
In session one of doubles, Spencer Talmadge and Niall Fitzgerald defeated the Texas duo of David Holiner and Chris Camillone, 8-3. Talmadge and Fitzgerald entered the fall ranked No. 21 in doubles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Elsewhere in session one of doubles, the team of Wyatt McCoy and Sam Keeton defeated the Alabama team of Daniil Proskura and Stuart Kenyon, 8-5, and Ryan Bandy and Blas Moros defeated Carlos Taborga and Rens van der Vis of Alabama, 8-3.
The lone defeat in session one for the Irish came at the hands of the Kentucky duo of Alex Musialek and Tom Jomby, who defeated Casey Watt and Greg Andrews, 8-4.
Session two of doubles saw Bandy and Moros blank Proskura and Kenyon, 8-0, and McCoy and Keeton win a close match, 8-6, over Taborga and van der Vis.
The Irish dropped a pair of matches as Musialek and Jomby took down Talmadge and Fitzgerald, 8-1, and Illinois’ Dennis Nevolo and Tim Kopinski topped Watt and Andrews, 8-4.
“We were very pleased with our doubles teams today,” said head coach Bobby Bayliss. “The four victories from our lower doubles teams show we have great depth.”
In singles action, the Irish went 4-4 on the day with Talmadge, Keeton, Moros and Fitzgerald all earning victories. Talmadge defeated Kenyon in a close match, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), while Moros topped California’s Riki McLachlan, 6-4, 6-2, and Fitzgerald bested Kentucky’s Ryuji Hirooka, 6-4, 6-3.
The Irish dropped four singles matches on the day. Proskura defeated Watt, 7-6 (2), 6-2, Jomby dropped Pecor, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, No. 26 Carlos Cueto of California squeezed by Andrews in a close match, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2, and California’s Ben McLachlan tripped up McCoy, 6-3, 6-0.
“Some of our veterans really played well against some quality competition today,” said Bayliss. “They helped themselves get the fall season to a good start. Andrews was two games away from a really good win. He will be able to take what he learned today and apply it to future matches.”
The Irish be back on the courts on Saturday, with the invitational wrapping up on Sunday.
Singles
Daniil Proskura (BAMA) def. #28 Casey Watt (ND), 7-6(2), 6-2
Tom Jomby (UK) def. Billy Pecor (ND), 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Spencer Talmadge (ND) def. Stuart Kenyon (BAMA), 7-6(5), 7-6(4)
Sam Keeton (ND) def. Carlos Taborga (BAMA), 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-4
#26 Carlos Cueto (CAL) def. Greg Andrews (ND), 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2
Ben McLachlan (CAL) def. Wyatt McCoy (ND), 6-3, 6-0
Blas Moros (ND) def. Riki McLachlan (CAL), 6-4, 6-2
Niall Fitzgerald (ND) def. Ryuji Hirooka (UK), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
No. 21 Spencer Talmadge/Niall Fitzgerald (ND) def. David Holiner/ Chris Camillone (UT), 8-3
Alex Musialek/Tom Jomby (UK) def. Casey Watt/Greg Andrews (ND), 8-4
Wyatt McCoy/Sam Keeton (ND) def. Daniil Proskura/Stuart Kenyon (BAMA), 8-5
Ryan Bandy/Blas Moros (ND) def. Carlos Taborga/ Rens van der Vis (BAMA), 8-3
Alex Musialek/Tom Jomby (UK) def. No. 21 Spencer Talmadge/Niall Fitzgerald (ND), 8-1
Ryan Bandy/Blas Moros (ND) def. Daniil Proskura/Stuart Kenyon (BAMA), 8-0
Dennis Nevolo/Tim Kopinski (ILL) def. Casey Watt/Greg Andrews (ND), 8-4
Wyatt McCoy/Sam Keeton (ND) def. Carlos Taborga/Rens van der Vis (BAMA), 8-6
–ND–