Jan. 26, 2013
NORMAN, Okla. – The No. 30 University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team suffered its second heartbreak of the week Saturday as the Irish fell to No. 28 Harvard, 4-3, at the Gregg Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavilion.
The Irish went to Oklahoma looking to bounce back from a 4-3 loss to No. 37 Northwestern Tuesday night at Eck Tennis Pavilion. Instead they suffered a tough loss in similar fashion. In both contests Notre Dame lost the doubles point and had the match come down to the one and five singles positions, with the opposition clinching the match at five.
Notre Dame closes out the ITA Kick-Off Weekend Sunday when it meets either No. 8 Oklahoma or No. 31 Memphis at 10 a.m. (ET).
The Crimson won the doubles point in impressive fashion to take a 1-0 lead. Nicolas Mahlangu and Alex Steinroeder swept Ryan Bandy and Matt Dooley, 8-0, at three and Shaun Chaudhuri and Casey MacMaster snuck past the No. 51 combo of Greg Andrews and Spencer Talmadge, 8-5, at one to claim the point. Alex Lawson and Billy Pecor held a slim 6-5 lead at two over Nicky Hu and Andy Nguyen when the match was called.
The singles competition went down to the wire with Harvard clinching the match with wins at two, four and five but not without a fight from the Irish.
Bandy got the comeback started at six with a 6-2, 6-2 straight-sets win over Kelvin Lam. The Irish then took a 2-1 lead as Quentin Monaghan bested Hu 6-4, 6-4 at three.
Harvard quickly stormed back with wins at four and two. MacMaster got the best of No. 88 Pecor at four, 7-5, 6-2, while Steinroeder topped No. T-110 Blas Moros, 6-4, 6-3, at two.
In an eerily similar finish to Tuesday night against the Wildcats, the contest with the Crimson came down to action at No. 1 and No. 5 singles as both matches went to three sets. Just like the Northwestern match, the Irish needed to win both contests to claim the win, but ended up losing in similar fashion. No. 80 Andrews swept Chauduri in the third set to earn the 6-3, 7-5, 6-0 win and even the match at three wins apiece. At five, No. 120 Wyatt McCoy took a 5-4 lead in the third set, just one game away from an Irish victory. However, Mahlangu stormed back to take the final three games and clinch the match for the Crimson, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5.
Doubles
1. Shaun Chaudhuri / Casey MacMaster (H) d. No. 51 Greg Andrews / Spencer Talmadge (ND), 8-5
2. Alex Lawson / Billy Pecor (ND) led Nicky Hu / Andy Nguyen (H), 6-5, unfinished
3. Nicolas Mahlangu / Alex Steinroeder (H) def. Ryan Bandy / Matt Dooley (ND), 8-0
Order of finish: 3, 1
Singles
1. No. 80 Greg Andrews (ND) def. Shaun Chauduri (H), 6-3, 5-7, 6-0
2. Alex Steinroeder (H) def. No. T-110 Blas Moros (ND), 6-4, 6-3
3. Quentin Monaghan (ND) def. Nicky Hu (H), 6-4, 6-4
4. Casey MacMaster (H) def. No. 88 Billy Pecor (ND), 7-5, 6-2
5. Nicholas Mahlangu (H) def. No. 120 Wyatt McCoy (ND), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5
6. Ryan Bandy (ND) def. Kelvin Lam (H), 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 6, 3, 4, 2, 1, 5*
* = Clincher
–ND–