Feb. 10, 2012
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 30 Notre Dame men’s tennis team made quick work of Wisconsin on Friday night at Eck Tennis Center, sweeping the Badgers, 7-0, to improve its home record to 4-0 on the year.
Notre Dame secured the doubles point and then won matches at five, one and six singles to clinch the victory.
The doubles point was a back and forth affair, with each team within striking distance of claiming the crucial first point. The Irish won the point on the strength of hard-fought victories at two and three doubles. The No. 3 duo of Sam Keeton and Billy Pecor defeated Alexander Kostanov and Petr Stral, 8-5, while the tandem of Greg Andrews and Spencer Talmadge followed closely behind with an identical 8-5 win over Quinton Vega and Rod Carey.
The lone loss in doubles for the Irish came at the No. 1 position, where Fredrik Ask and Billy Bertha rallied to claim a 9-8 win, holding off Casey Watt and Niall Fitzgerald, 7-5, in the tiebreaker.
Notre Dame (7-3) improved to 6-0 when it wins the doubles point.
In singles, the Irish made quick work of the visiting Badgers, winning five matches in straight sets, with the sixth being decided by a superset. Junior Blas Moros improved to 4-2 at No. 5 singles on the year as he made quick work of Rod Carey, 6-1, 6-3. Watt followed quickly behind at No. 1 singles, knocking off Kostanov, 6-3, 6-4. The Gibsonia, Pa., product is now 6-4 on the year.
Junior Michael Moore clinched the match for the Irish at No. 5 singles, dropping Vega, 6-2, 6-2.
With the match decided, Keeton won 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 at No. 3 singles over Satral, and Fitzgerald rallied after a first-set loss to win the third-set superset and the match, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (11-9), over Bertha.
Andrews gave the Irish the sweep with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Ask.
The Irish face their stiffest home test of the year on Sunday when they welcome in No. 6 Kentucky for a 12 p.m. match. Notre Dame also welcomes IUPUI to campus for a 6 p.m. match.
RESULTS
SINGLES
No. 1 Singles
Casey Watt (ND) d. Alexander Kostanov (UW), 6-3, 6-4
No. 2 Singles
Greg Andrews (ND) d. Fredrik Ask (UW), 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 Singles
Sam Keeton (ND) d. Petr Satral (UW), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
No. 4 Singles
Niall Fitzgerald (ND) d. Billy Bertha (UW), 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (11-9)
No. 5 Singles
Blas Moros (ND) d. Rod Carey (UW), 6-1, 6-3
No. 6 Singles
Michael Moore (ND) d. Quinton Vega (UW), 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish: 5, 1, 6, 3, 4, 2
DOUBLES
No. 1 Doubles
Fredrik Ask / Billy Bertha (UW) d. Casey Watt / Niall Fitzgerald (ND), 9-8 (7-5)
No. 2 Doubles
Greg Andrews / Spencer Talmadge (ND) d. Quinton Vega / Rod Carey (UW), 8-5
No. 3 Doubles
Sam Keeton / Billy Pecor (ND) d. Alexander Kostanov / Petr Satral (UW), 8-5
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
–ND–