CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Four players represented Notre Dame at Chowderfest this weekend hosted by Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Brian Bilsey, Noah Becker, Jayanth Devaiah and Luis Llorens each took to the court for 3 doubles and 3 singles matches throughout weekend. All matches were played indoors as the weather was overcast and rainy so play took place in the Murr Center.
The veteran team of Bilsey and Becker, a senior and junior respectively, bookended their weekend with a pair of doubles victories. They opened up play on Friday with a win over Yale and defeated the duo from Southern Methodist on Sunday. Devaiah and Llorens also picked up two wins on the doubles court. After a day 1 defeat in a very close tiebreak set on Friday, they rebounded with a win over Harvard on Saturday and took out the Boise State team on Sunday with a 6-game run to win the set 6-2.
In singles, freshman Luis Llorens opened the weekend with a 3-set win over Yale, moving his win streak to 5 in a row to start his collegiate singles career. But the streak would end as he lost a 3-set match to Harvard on the second day and a close straight set match to Illinois.
Becker and Bilsey each picked up singles wins on the middle day of play as well. Becker took a 7-5, 6-2 win over his Crimson opponent in a match featuring 10 deuce games. Bilsey closed the facility on Saturday night as the last match on and wrapped up a come from behind with a 1-6, 6-4, 1-0(9) win.
Next Up:
Play is underway at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yu Zhang, Chase Thompson and Peter Nad are in the prequalifying singles draws and Thompson and Zhang will pair in the prequalifying draws. Nad will partner with Sebastian Dominko in the qualifying doubles draw. Dominko is into the main draw of singles action and will start his tournament on Tuesday.
Next weekend, four players will be competing at the Milwaukee Classic in Wisconsin. It will be the 4th event in a three-week period that Notre Dame will have players in action.
Friday
Becker/Bilsey(ND) def. Liao/Ji(YALE) 6-3
Overg/Li(YALE) def. Devaiah/Llorens(ND) 7-6(6)
Shuler(YALE) def. Devaiah(ND) 6-1, 6-0
Llorens(ND) def. Oberg(YALE) 6-4, 6-7(6), 1-0(7)
Liao(YALE) def. Bilsey(ND) 6-2, 6-2
Gupta(YALE) def. Becker(ND) 6-2, 7-5
Saturday
Lee/Pape(HARV) def. Becker/Bilsey(ND)6-4
Devaiah/Llorens(ND) def. Thornton/Ktiri(HARV) 6-3
Pape(HARV) def. Llorens(ND) 1-6, 6-3, 1-0(7)
Zhang(ILL) def. Devaiah(ND) 5-7, 6-2, 1-0(8)
Becker(ND) def. Thornton(HARV) 7-5, 6-2
Bilsey(ND) def. MacDonald(HARV) 1-6, 6-4, 1-0(9)
Sunday
Becker/Bilsey(ND) def. Mize/Macdonald(SMU) 6-2
Devaiah/Llorens(ND) def. Duda/Haddouch(BOISE) 6-2
Zhang(ILL) def. Llorens(ND) 7-6(6), 6-2
Duda(BOISE) def. Devaiah(ND) 6-3, ret.
Vassel(BC) def. Becker(ND) 7-5, 6-3
Ilie(BC) def. Bilsey(ND) 7-5, 7-5