April 6, 2001
WACO, Texas — The 16th-ranked Notre Dame men’s tennis team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat host and 32nd-ranked Baylor 4-3 on Friday in the first of two matches this weekend in Texas for the Irish. Junior Aaron Talarico trailed 3-6, 1-4 before winning the clinching match with the scored tied at 3-3. Off to their best start since 1997, the Irish improve to 14-4 and return to action at ninth-ranked SMU on Sunday.
The Bears used wins at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles to take a 1-0 lead heading into singles action. Notre Dame’s 21st-ranked team of juniors Javier Taborga and Aaron Talarico edged Baylor’s 18th-ranked team of Reiner Neurohor and Mark Williams 9-7 at No. 1 doubles.
Baylor went ahead 2-0 when Cory Ross beat Irish freshman Matthew Scott 6-1, 6-1 at No. 6 singles, before Notre Dame won singles matches at the top two spots to tie the match. Junior Casey Smith beat Neurohor 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 singles, while 99th-ranked Taborga knotted the match at 2-2 with his 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles.
Williams put Baylor ahead 3-2 with his 7-6 (7-0), 6-1 win over Irish freshman Luis Haddock-Morales at No. 3 singles. Sophomore Brian Farrell tied the match at 3-3 when he defeated Nathan McGregor 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) at No. 5 singles.
Talarico trailed Matias Marin 3-6, 4-1 at No. 4 singles before rallying for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win in the decisive match at 3-3. The win marked the first for the Irish over Baylor after losing the only other meeting in 1986.
#16 NOTRE DAME 4, #32 BAYLOR 3
Singles
No. 1: Casey Smith (ND) def. Reiner Neurohor (B) 6-3, 6-4
No. 2: #99 Javier Taborga (ND) def. Csongor Bibza (B) 6-2, 6-3
No. 3: Mark Williams (B) def. Luis Haddock-Morales (ND) 7-6 (7-0), 6-1
No. 4: Aaron Talarico (ND) def. Matias Marin (B) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
No. 5: Brian Farrell (ND) def. Nathan McGregor (B) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
No. 6: Cory Ross (B) def. Matthew Scott (ND) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1: #21 Taborga/Talarico (ND) def. #18 Neurohr/Williams (B) 9-7
No. 2: McGregor/Ross (B) def. Haddock-Morales/Smith (ND) 8-6
No. 3: Bibza/Garcia (B) def. Daly/Farrell (ND) 8-2