April 3, 2016

Match 1 Box Score | Match 1 Box Score | Match 2 Box Score | Match 2 Box Score

By Joanne Norell

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team picked up a pair of wins Sunday evening as the day’s scheduled doubleheader turned into a three-match affair, with the Irish and Chicago State agreeing to play two matches. Notre Dame won both contests, 6-1 and 5-1.

With just five healthy players on the Chicago State roster, the Irish took a 1-0 advantage into each match, with the Cougars forfeiting at No. 6 singles. In the first match, the teams played two doubles matches, with the Irish taking the point by virtue of a 7-5 win by sophomores Drew Dawson and Brendon Kempin on Court 2 and a Cougar forfeit on Court 3.

Senior Quentin Monaghan gave the Irish a 3-0 lead in the first match when he defeated Felix Savard 6-2, 6-1 on Court 1. On Court 3, freshman Daniel Rayl clinched the Irish victory with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Gonzalo Martinez.

Kempin made it 5-0 for the Irish with a 6-1, 3-6, 10-2 victory over Christian Gonzalez on Court 4, while freshman Nathan Griffin defeated Rohan Wattley 7-6(3), 6-2 on Court 5.

Chicago State got its lone point on Court 2 as Gabriel Niculescu defeated Kenneth Sabacinski 6-4, 5-7, 14-12.

In the second match, the Irish and Cougars played singles first, with doubles serving as a match tiebreaker in the event of a 3-3 tie. It would go unneeded, however, as the Irish won the first three matches to secure the team victory.

Senior Nicolas Montoya started things off with a speedy 6-2, 6-4 win over Martinez on Court 3, while classmate Alex Lawson defeated Savard 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 1 slot. The Irish got the clincher from Kempin, who this time defeated Wattley 6-3, 6-0 from the No. 5 position.

Chicago State got a point back when Gonzalez defeated Dawson in three sets on Court 4, 5-7, 6-3, 10-3. Rayl closed out the match with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Niculescu on Court 2.

The Irish will be back in action next Friday as they welcome No. 1 North Carolina for the final home match of the season at the Courtney Tennis Center. The Irish will honor its five seniors – Alex Lawson, Quentin Monaghan, Nicolas Montoya, Sabacinski and Eric Schnurrenberger – following the match.

Match 1
Notre Dame 6, Chicago State 1
SINGLES
1. No. 33 Quentin Monaghan (ND) def. Felix Savard (CSU) 6-2, 6-1
2. Gabriel Niculescu (CSU) def. Kenneth Sabacinski (ND) 6-4, 5-7, 14-12
3. Daniel Rayl (ND) def. Gonzalo Martinez (CSU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Brendon Kempin (ND) def. Christian Gonzalez 6-1, 3-6, 10-2
5. Nathan Griffin (ND) def. Rohan Wattley (CSU) 7-6(3), 6-2
6. Drew Dawson (ND) won by forfeit
DOUBLES
1. Gabriel Niculescu / Christian Gonzalez (CSU) def. Grayson Broadus / Nathan Griffin (ND) 6-4
2. Drew Dawson / Brendon Kempin (ND) def. Felix Savard / Rohan Wattley (CSU) 7-5
3. Notre Dame won by forfeit

Match 2
Notre Dame 5, Chicago State 1
SINGLES
1. Alex Lawson (ND) def. Felix Savard (CSU) 6-2, 6-4
2. Daniel Rayl (ND) def. Gabriel Niculescu (ND) 6-4, 6-4
3. Nicolas Montoya (ND) def. Gonzalo Martinez (CSU) 6-1, 6-0
4. Christian Gonzalez (CSU) def. Drew Dawson (ND) 5-7, 6-3, 10-3
5. Brendon Kempin (ND) def. Rohan Wattley (CSU) 6-3, 6-0
6. Eric Schnurrenberger (ND) won by forfeit

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For the latest on all things Irish men’s tennis, follow @NDMensTennis on Twitter and like Notre Dame Men’s Tennis on Facebook.

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Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown University in 2013.