March 9, 2000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 31st-ranked Notre Dame men’s tennis team managed to win only a pair of singles matches in a 5-2 road loss to 11th-ranked Illinois on Thursday.

The Illini took the doubles point and then won the first two singles matches to stand a point away from ending the match. The Irish tried to rally, sending the remaining four matches to a third set, but then Illinois’ Jeff Laski, the 52nd-ranked player in the country, clinched the match for Illinois with a win at number two singles.

Notre Dame, which drops to 7-4 with the loss, returns to action at the Blue-Gray National Classic in Montgomery, Ala., March 16-19.

The 40th-ranked doubles team of Cary Franklin and Graydon Oliver got the Illini on the right track with an 8-2 win over Irish seniors Trent Miller and Ryan Sachire.

Notre Dame sophomores Javier Taborga and Aaron Talarico, the 31st-ranked doubles team in the country, then won for the sixth time in a row in dual match play by beating the 10th-ranked team of Jeff Laski and Jamal Parker 8-3. Shawn Brooke and Snyder clinched the doubles point with a 9-7 victory over Notre Dame sophomores James Malhame and Casey Smith at number three doubles.

Brooke and Oliver gave Illinois a 3-0 lead with singles wins. Brooke defeated Irish sophomore Andrew Laflin 3-6, 6-7, 6-3 at number six singles and Oliver beat junior Matt Daly 6-1, 6-3 at number three.

Notre Dame’s Sachire, ranked 9th in the country in singles, then defeated 25th-ranked Franklin 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 to improve to 23-6 in singles.

Laski clinched the Illini victory with a 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 win over Casey Smith at No. 2 singles.

Illinois’ Mike Kosta defeated Talarico 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4 singles before Taborga earned Notre Dame’s other point with a 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 triumph over Parker at number five singles.

#11 ILLINOIS 5, #31 NOTRE DAME 2
Singles
No. 1: #9 Ryan Sachire (ND) def. #25 Cary Franklin (I) 6-7, 7-6, 7-6
No. 2: #52 Jeff Laski (I) def. Casey Smith (ND) 7-6, 5-7, 6-3
No. 3: Graydon Oliver (I) def. Matt Daly (ND) 6-1, 6-3
No. 4: Mike Kosta (I) def. Aaron Talarico (ND) 6-2, 6-2
No. 5: Javier Taborga (ND) def. Jamal Parker (I) 4-6, 7-6, 6-4
No. 6: Shawn Brooke (I) def. Andrew Laflin (ND) 3-6, 6-7, 6-3

Doubles
No. 1: #31 Taborga/Talarico (ND) def. #10 Laski/Parker (I) 8-3
No. 2: #40 Franklin/Oliver (I) def. Trent Miller/Sachire (ND) 8-2
No. 3: Brooke/Snyder (I) def. James Malhame/Smith (ND) 9-7