Feb. 16, 2007
CHICAGO – The No. 9 Notre Dame men’s tennis team dropped its opening match from the USTA/ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championships to No. 10 Pepperdine, 4-2, on Friday night at the Midtown Tennis Club. The Irish drop to 6-2 on the season, while the Waves improve to 7-1. Notre Dame will face Penn Saturday at noon in a consolation match.
Trailing 1-0 after doubles action, the Irish quickly grabbed a 2-1 lead with victories at No. 2 and No. 5. Junior Sheeva Parbhu (Omaha, NE) fell behind 3-0 to Richard Johnson in the opening set, but rallied for a 7-5 victory and then cruised in the second set, 6-1. Parbhu upped his overall record to 16-8 overall and 6-2 in dual action with his fourth consecutive victory.
Senior Barry King (Dublin, Ireland) followed with another straight-set victory. King cruised past Omar Altmann, 6-3, 6-4. He improved to 17-6 overall and 6-2 in dual action. King is now tied with fellow senior Stephen Bass (Bronxville, NY) for the team-lead in singles victories.
Bass was not as fortunate in his match at No. 1 against #33 Andre Begemann. Bass took the first set, 6-4, but never regained the same form and dropped the next two sets, 6-3, 6-3. He dropped to 17-8 overall and 6-2 in dual action. The loss snapped his season-high six-match winning streak.
With the match tied, 2-2, the Waves earned another critical point at No. 4 singles to grab a 3-2 lead. Bassam Beidas also rallied from a set down to upend senior Ryan Keckley (South Bend, IN). Keckley crushed Beidas, 6-1, in the first set, but dropped each of the next two sets, 6-4, 6-4. The defeat was his first in dual action this season and snapped a six-match winning streak. Keckley now stands 13-3 overall and 6-1 in dual matches.
The Waves clinched the match at No. 6 singles, another match in which the Irish took the opening set. Junior Andrew Roth (Houston, TX) captured the first set, 7-5, but lost the two ensuing sets, 6-3, 7-5. Roth dropped to 12-9 overall and 4-4 in dual action.
Sophomore Brett Helgeson (Overland Park, KS) dropped his first set to James Lemke, 7-5, at No. 3, but answered with a 6-4 win in the second set. Lemke led 5-3 in the third set when the match was stopped.
Pepperdine took a 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point. Altmann and Johnson upset 11th-ranked Keckley and Parbhu at No. 1 doubles, 8-4. The Irish duo dropped to 18-5 overall and 4-4 in dual action.
The Waves clinched the point with their triumph at No. 2 doubles. Begemann and Kamel knocked off King and Helgeson at No. 2 doubles, 8-5. King and Helgeson now stand 13-6 overall and 5-3 in dual action. With the point already decided, the No. 3 doubles match between Bass and Roth and Lemke and Beidas was halted with the score tied, 5-5.
#10 PEPPERDINE 4, #9 NOTRE DAME 2
Singles
1. #33 Andre Begemann (PU) def. #14 Stephen Bass (ND); 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
2. #30 Sheeva Parbhu (ND) def. Richard Johnson (PU); 7-5, 6-1
3. James Lemke (PU) vs. Brett Helgeson (ND); 5-7, 6-4, 3-5, unfinished
4. Bassam Beidas (PU) def. Ryan Keckley (ND); 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
5. Barry King (ND) def. Omar Altmann (PU); 6-3, 6-4
*6. Mahmoud Kamel (PU) def. Andrew Roth (ND); 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
Doubles
1. Altmann/Johnson (PU) def. #11 Keckley/Parbhu (ND); 8-4
*2. Begemann/Kamel (PU) def. King/Helgeson (ND); 8-5
3. Roth/Bass (ND) vs. Lemke/Beidas (PU); 5-5, unfinished
Order of Finish Doubles (1,2)
Singles (5,2,1,4,6)
* clinched point/match
— ND —