May 13, 2000
WESTWOOD, Calif. — The 32nd-ranked Notre Dame men’s tennis team won the doubles point and won three straight sets matches at the bottom of the singles lineup to beat 42nd-ranked New Mexico State in the NCAA championship first round on Saturday at UCLA. The Irish improve to 13-10 with the win and advance to the second round against the second-ranked Bruins at noon on Sunday. UCLA blanked UMKC on Saturday in the first round.
Junior Matt Daly and sophomore Casey Smith defeated Felix Hutt and Alvaro Dominguez 8-6 at No. 3 doubles for the first Irish doubles win. The senior team of Trent Miller and Ryan Sachire clinched the point with an 8-3 win over Jens Bolleyer and Ben Newcombe at No. 2 doubles. The No. 1 doubles match was abandoned once Notre Dame won the point for a 1-0 lead heading into singles.
Sophomore and nearby Laguna Beach native Aaron Talarico made quick work of Dominguez 6-1, 6-1 at No. 5 singles for a 2-0 Irish lead. Sophomore Andrew Laflin downed Newcombe 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6 singles for a 3-0 advantage. Sophomore Javier Taborga then clinched the victory with a 6-3, 7-6 win over Hutt at No. 4 singles. The first three singles matches were abandoned once Taborga won the decisive singles match.
The second-ranked Bruins enter Sunday’s match with a 22-3 record following their win over the Kangaroos. The Irish have lost all previous four meetings with the Bruins but the teams have not met since 1991.
#34 NOTRE DAME 4, #42 NEW MEXICO STATE 0
Singles
No. 1: #9 Ryan Sachire (ND vs. #77 Marc Legris (NMS) 6-2, 2-6, 1-0, abandoned
No. 2: Matt Daly (ND) vs. Cesar Obieta (NMS) 6-2, 4-3, abandoned
No. 3: Casey Smith (ND) vs. Jens Bolleyer (NMS) 7-6, 4-6, 1-0, abandoned
No. 4: Javier Taborga (ND) def. Felix Hutt (NMS) 6-3, 7-6
No. 5: Aaron Talarico (ND) def. Alvaro Dominguez (NMS) 6-1, 6-1
No. 6: Andrew Laflin (ND) def. Ben Newcombe (NMS) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1: #29 Talarico/Taborga (ND) vs. #39 Legris/Obieta (NMS) 5-6, abandoned
No. 2: Trent Miller/Sachire (ND) def. Bolleyer/Newcombe (NMS) 8-3
No. 3: Daly/Smith (ND) def. Hutt/Dominguez (NMS) 8-6