SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University Notre Dame men’s tennis team capped off their three-match weekend with two wins back home at the Eck Tennis Pavilion Sunday. The Fighting Irish defeated Southeastern Conference opponent Auburn 5-1 to start the day in a match that lasted three and a half hours. Later in the evening, they returned to the court to beat Toledo 4-0.
Notre Dame came out firing in doubles and got early 3-0 leads at number #1 and #2 doubles. Jean-Marc Malkowski and Sebastian Dominko would take the first match of the day with a 6-3 win. Chase Thompson and Evan Lee would get back on serve at 5-5 after falling behind a break early but would not get to finish their match before Brian Bilsey and Nil Giraldez would clinch the point. Bilsey sealed the match with an ace to give the Irish the 1-0 lead heading into singles.
Singles would start tight and remain close throughout the contest but Notre Dame would prove up to the test. Malkowski was the first off the court and won a close first set before taking charge in a quick second set to give the first singles point to the Irish. After a point to the Tigers at #3, the remaining four matches would all go to third sets. Dominko, facing an Auburn opponent ranked #84 in the country, would erase a 2-4 deficit in the final set and win his match to put his team within one of the victory.
Giraldez, playing at the #2 position and facing the #105 ranked player, won his first set 8-6 in a tiebreak. He would lose the second set but immediately respond to go up a break 2-0 in the third. After a back and forth set seeing a number of breaks of serve, a third set tiebreak would be needed to determine the court. Giraldez took control early and never looked back, winning the tiebreak 7-1 and earning himself the best win of his collegiate career as well as sealing the Irish victory. Yu Zhang would also come from a set down to win 6-4 in the third while Thompson’s match would be abandoned late in the final set.
The Irish would return to the court a few hours later and take on the Toledo Rockets in a match that would conclude 4-0 in favor of the home team. Dominko and Malkowski picked up their 2nd doubles win of the day and Thompson and Lee would clinch the point.
In singles, Thompson raced off the second spot in the lineup with a 6-2, 6-2 win and Zhang followed with a 6-1, 6-4 win at #5. Malkowski, who was first off the court in the Auburn match would be last off the court against Toledo and provided the clinching point of the night with a 6-4, 7-5. The remaining matches would be abandoned and Notre Dame ended the day with a 11-1 record in completed matches.
Up Next
The home stretch continues next weekend as the men’s team will host another doubleheader against a pair of teams from the state to our west. Illinois comes in ranked #23 in the country and will serve it up at noon before Chicago State will play the second match at 5 p.m.
Box Score – Match 1
Notre Dame 5 – Auburn 1
Doubles
- Dominko/Malkowski(ND) def. Dobai/Murgett(AUB) 6-3
- Lee/Thompson(ND) vs. Nolan/Blaydes(AUB) 5-5 DNF
- Bilsey/Giraldez(ND) def. Stice/Heng(AUB) 6-3
Order of Finish(1, 2)
Singles
- #70 Dominko(ND) def. #84 Stice(AUB) 6-3, 6-7(), 6-4
- Giraldez(ND) def. # 105 Dobai(AUB) 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(1)
- Murgett(AUB) def. Corsillo(ND) 6-3, 7-5
- Thompson(ND) vs. Moreno(AUB) 5-7, 7-5, 3-4 DNF
- Malkowski(ND) def. Blaydes(AUB) 7-5, 6-2
- Zhang(ND) def. Nolan(AUB) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
Order of Finish(5, 3, 4, 2, 6)
Box Score – Match 2
Notre Dame 4 – Toledo 0
Doubles
- Dominko/Malkowski(ND) def. Galic/Sornlaskup(TOL) 6-3
- Lee/Thompson(ND) def. Carvajal/Komolpisut(TOL) 6-2
- Bilsey/Giraldez(ND) vs. Kovac/Oliviero(TOL) 4-3 DNF
Order of Finish(1, 2)
Singles
- #70 Dominko(ND) vs. #91 Sornlaskup(TOL) 6-7, 1-5 DNF
- Thompson(ND) def. Galic(TOL) 6-2, 6-2
- Corsillo(ND) vs. Carvajal(TOL) 6-3, 4-6, 0-1 DNF
- Malkowski(ND) def. Kovac(TOL) 6-4, 7-5
- Zhang(ND) def. Oliverio(TOL) 6-1, 6-4
- Bilsey(ND) vs. Komolpisut(TOL) 6-7, 0-3 DNF
Order of Finish(2, 5, 4)