Sept. 13, 2003
HOUSTON, Texas – The Notre Dame men’s tennis team won all four of its doubles matches, continuing play in the season-opening Crowne Plaza Invitational on Saturday. The Irish won five of nine in singles, with five matches going to third sets. Hightlighting the singles action was senior tri-captain Matthew Scott (Oakton, VA/International School of Paris) upsetting the 58th-ranked player in the nation.
In Flight A doubles, Scott sophomore Eric Langenkamp (Scarsdale, NY/Scarsdale H.S.) shut out Tulsa’s John Matthews and Tom Murray. Senior tri-captain Luis Haddock (Caguas, PR/Notre Dame H.S.) and freshman Ryan Keckley (South Bend, IN/St. Joseph H.S.) topped Dustin Taylor and Luc Maasdorp of Tulsa 8-3. Langenkamp and Scott will square off against Haddock and Keckley tomorrow.
In Flight B, freshmen Stephen Bass (Bronxville, NY/Iona Preparatory School) and Bobby McNally (Miami, FL/Gulliver Preparatory School) advanced to the finals with an 8-1 win over Rice’s Harding Brumby and Roland Robb. They will take on Danny Bryan and Brandon Nicholson tomorrow. Sophomore Patrick Buchanan (Fullerton, CA/Servite H.S.) and freshman Irackli Akhvlediani (Vienna, Austria/Vienna International School) were victorious in a walkover. They will face Tulsa’s Eduardo Gutierrez and Ricardo Rojas on Sunday.
In singles play, Scott came from behind to beat No. 58 Taylor of Tulsa 3-6, 7-6, 6-2. Scott will take on 18th-ranked Richard Barker of Rice tomorrow. In another Flight A match, 64th-ranked Haddock took LSU’s Skupski to a third set but fell 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Haddock will face LSU’s Jason Hazley next.
In Fight B action, Stephen Bass came back after losing the first set to beat LSU’s Danny Bryan 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Bass advances to the final, where he will face Shunsuke Shimizu of Tulsa. Shimizu advanced after toppng Notre Dame’s Buchanan 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. Buchanan will square off against Bryan tomorrow.
In Flight C, Langenkamp posted a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Jason Mok of Rice and will advance to face LSU’s Colt Gaston in the finals. Akhvlediani lost 7-5, 6-2 to Gaston and will meet Mok tomorrow.
The Irish picked two wins in Flight D: McNally over Gutierrez 6-0, 6-1 and Keckley vs. Robb 6-4, 6-2. Junior Jimmy Bass (Bronxville, NY/Iona Preparatory School) dropped a three-set decison to Maasdorp 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Tomorrow McNally will face Robb, Keckley will take on Maasdorp and Bass will meet Gutierrez.
CROWNE PLAZA INVITATIONAL RESULTS – DAY TWO
Flight A Singles
Ken Skupski (LSU) def. #64 Luis Haddock (ND), 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
Matt Scott (ND) def. #58 Dustin Taylor (Tulsa), 3-6, 7-6, 6-2
Flight B Singles
Shunsuke Shimizu (Tulsa) def. Patrick Buchanan (ND), 1-6, 6-2, 6-3
Stephen Bass (ND) def. Danny Bryan (LSU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Flight C Singles
Colt Gaston (LSU) def. Irachli Akhvlediani (ND), 7-5, 6-2
Eric Langenkamp (ND) def. Jason Mok (Rice), 6-2, 6-4
Flight D Singles
Bobby McNally (ND) def. Eduardo Gutierrez (Tulsa), 6-0, 6-1
Ryan Keckley (ND) def. Roland Robb (Rice), 6-4, 6-2
Luc Maasdorp (Tulsa) def. Jimmy Bass (ND), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Flight A Doubles
Scott / Langenkamp (ND) def. Murray / Matthews (Tulsa), 8-0
Haddock / Keckley (ND) def. Taylor / Maarsorp (Tulsa), 8-3
Flight B Doubles
S. Bass / McNally (ND) def. Harding Brumby / Robb (Rice), 8-1
Buchanan / Akhvlediani (ND) def. Will Wiggins / Ignacio Melus (Lamar), walkover