April 13, 2011
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 28th-ranked University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team battled No. 2 Ohio State, but dropped a 5-2 decision Wednesday at the Stickney Tennis Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Irish picked up wins at third and sixth doubles and senior Daniel Stahl (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) improved his winning streak to eight consecutive matches.
Freshman Greg Andrews (Richland, Mich./Gull Lake) and senior captain Tyler Davis (Nashville, Tenn./Father Ryan) were the first to complete their doubles match and fell to Balazs Novak and Blaz Rola in an 8-2 decision at third doubles. The tandem was leading 2-1 in the match before the Buckeye pair pulled away to win.
At second doubles, senior Stephen Havens (Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy) and junior Casey Watt (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine Richland) were unable to defeat No. 66 Shuhei Uzawa and Chase Buchanan. The Irish pair was down 2-7 at one point in the match and managed to make a run, but still fell 8-6 and the Buckeyes clinched the doubles point for a 1-0 lead.
Junior Niall Fitzgerald (Wicklow, Ireland/Blackrock College) and sophomore Spencer Talmadge (Hillsborough, Calif./Junipero Serra) upset No. 12 Matt Allare and Peter Kobelt as the duo recorded an 8-6 victory at first doubles. The 12th-ranked Buckeye tandem is the highest-rated opponent that Fitzgerald and Talmadge have defeated together.
At the No. 1 position, 54th-ranked Watt was defeated by No. 5 Rola in a two-set match, 6-3, 6-0, while Andrews fell to No. 65 Devin McCarthy, 6-3, 6-4 at fourth singles.
Stahl improved his winning streak to eight consecutive matches with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 112 Ille Van Engelen at third singles. Fitzgerald dropped to 65th-ranked Devin McCarthy in consecutive sets, 6-3, 6-3 at the No. 5 position. McCarthy’s victory Fitzgerald clinched the match for Ohio State.
Rounding out the Irish lineup, Havens was defeated by No. 12 Chase Buchanan at the No. 2 position and sophomore Blas Moros (Boca Raton, Fla./Pine Crest) downed 67th-ranked Novak in a three-set match at sixth singles. Havens was downed 6-1, 6-3, while Moros upset Novak 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-7) to conclude the match in a 5-2 score.
The Irish return to action April 23 to battle 2010 BIG EAST Champion Louisville in Louisville, Ky.
No. 2 Ohio State, 5 No. 28 Notre Dame, 2
Singles
No. 1 No. 5 Blaz Rola (OSU) def. Casey Watt (ND), 6-3, 6-0
No. 2 No. 12 Chase Buchanan (OSU) def. Stephen Havens (ND), 6-1, 6-3
No. 3 Daniel Stahl (ND) def. No. 112 Ille Van Engelen (OSU), 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 No. 43 Matt Allare (OSU) def. Greg Andrews (ND), 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 No. 65 Devin McCarthy (OSU) def. Niall Fitzgerald (ND), 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 Blas Moros (ND) def. No. 67 Balazs Novak (OSU), 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-7)
Order of Finish: 1, 4, 3, 5, 2, 6
Doubles
No. 1 Niall Fitzgerald/Spencer Talmadge (ND) def. No. 12 Matt Allare/Peter Kobelt, 8-6 … 3-2, 7-5, 8-6
No. 2 No. 66 Shuhei Uzawa/Chase Buchanan (OSU) def. Stephen Havens/Casey Watt (ND), 8-6 … 1-3, 2-7, 6-8
No. 3. Balazs Novak/Blaz Rola (OSU) def. Greg Andrews/Tyler Davis (ND), 8-2 … 2-1, 2-5, 2-8
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
–ND–