March 8, 2001
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The 26th-ranked Notre Dame men’s tennis team dropped just two sets in its 7-0 shutout of 33rd-ranked Michigan on Thursday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. The Irish claimed the doubles point and won three straight-set matches in the middle of the singles lineup to improve to 10-2 on the season — their best start since the 1998 Irish began the season 12-2. Notre Dame returns to action on March 15-18, when its makes its annual trip to the Blue-Gray National Classic in Montgomery, Ala.
The 14th-ranked team of Irish juniors Javier Taborga and Aaron Talarico won the first doubles match with an 8-4 victory over Chris Rolf and Chris Shaya at No. 1 doubles. Freshman Luis Haddock-Morales and junior Casey Smith then clinched the point for Notre Dame with a 9-7 victory over Danny McCain and Greg Novak at No. 2 doubles. Senior Matt Daly and sophomore Brian Farrell rallied from 0-5 to beat Ben Cox and Anthony Jackson 9-8 (8-6) at No. 3 doubles.
After finishing last in doubles, Farrell was the first singles match to finish, as he gave the Irish a 2-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Jackson at No. 4 singles. Talarico made it 3-0 when he beat Novak 7-6 (11-9), 6-2 at No. 3 singles. Haddock-Morales clinched the win by winning the final four games in his 6-4, 7-5 victory over McCain at No. 2 singles.
The 88th-ranked Smith rallied to beat Cox 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 singles while freshman Matthew Scott beat Brett Baudinet 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 at No. 6 singles. Daly won 7-6 (10-8), 6-3 at No. 5 singles to complete Notre Dame’s sweep of Michigan — its 11th win in 14 matches versus the Wolverines under 14th-year head coach Bob Bayliss and sixth straight at home.
#26 NOTRE DAME 7, #33 MICHIGAN 0
Singles
No. 1: #88 Casey Smith (ND) def. Ben Cox (M) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
No. 2: Luis Haddock-Morales (ND) def. Danny McCain (M) 6-4, 7-5
No. 3: Aaron Talarico (ND) def. Greg Novak (M) 7-6 (11-9), 6-2
No. 4: Brian Farrell (ND) def. Anthony Jackson (M) 6-2, 6-0
No. 5: Matt Daly (ND) def. Chris Shaya (M) 7-6 (10-8), 6-3
No. 6: Matthew Scott (ND) def. Brett Baudinet (M) 3-6, 6-0, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1: #14 Taborga/Talarico (ND) def. Chris Rolf/Shaya (M) 8-4
No. 2: Haddock-Morales/Smith (ND) def. McCain/Novak (M) 9-7
No. 3: Daly/Farrell (ND) def. Cox/Jackson (M) 9-8 (8-6)