Nov. 4, 2011
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Notre Dame men’s tennis team won nine singles matches, including eight in straight sets, to close out another strong day on Friday at the Gopher Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn.
The Irish, who won five singles matches against opponents from Minnesota on Thursday, took out six players from Nebraska and three from Minnesota on Friday. They also defeated two doubles foes from Denver and one from Minnesota on their way to a 3-2 mark in doubles.
In Group A, sophomore Greg Andrews defeated Nebraska’s Robert Schulze in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, while senior Casey Watt took down the Cornhuskers’ Andre Stenger in a three-set thriller, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
Groups B and C saw four Irish victories over four Cornhuskers. In Group B, senior Samuel Keeton defeated Tom Blackwell, 6-4, 6-3, while fellow senior Niall Fitzgerald topped Eric Sock by an identical score of 6-4, 6-3. In Group C sophomore Billy Pecor took care of Drew Freeman, 6-4, 6-1, and freshman Wyatt McCoy dropped Brandon Videtich, 7-6, 6-4.
Three Notre Dame student-athletes earned victories over Minnesota Golden Gophers in Group D. Junior Michael Moore defeated Michael Sicora, 6-4, 6-4, sophomore Blas Moros knocked off Mathieu Froment, 6-2, 7-5, and sophomore Ryan Bandy took down Juan Pablo Ramirez, 6-4, 6-2.
The lone singles loss on the day came as a result of injury as junior Spencer Talmadge was forced to resign in the second set of his match against Minnesota’s Eric Frueh.
In doubles action, the Irish picked up a trio of victories over Denver foes. The duo of Watt and Andrews held off the team of Othar Kordsachia and Yannick Weihs, 8-6. Keeton and Pecor handled Fabio Biasion and Alex Clinkenbeard, 8-2. The final victory came from McCoy and Moros, who battled Minnesota’s Sicora and Ramirez, before topping them in extra tennis, 9-8 (2).
Day three of the Gopher Invitational kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Round 1 Doubles
Group A
Vorkefeld/Bonin (D) d. Talmadge/Fitzgerald (ND) 8-5
Group B
Watt/Andrews (ND) d. Kordsachia/Weihs (D) 8-6
Group C
Keeton/Pecor (ND) d. Biasion/Clinkenbeard (D) 8-2
Ruddock/Frueh (M) d. Moore/Bandy (ND) 9-8 (8)
Group D
McCoy/Moros (ND) d. Sicora/Ramirez (M) 9-8 (2)
Round 2 Singles
Group A
Watt (ND) d. Stenger (N) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
Andrews (ND) d. Schultze (N) 6-3, 6-2
Group B
Keeton (ND) d. Blackwell (N) 6-4, 6-3
Fitzgerald (ND) d. Sock (N) 6-4, 6-3
Group C
Pecor (ND) d. Freeman (N) 6-4, 6-1
McCoy (ND) d. Videtich (N) 7-6, 6-4
Group D
Moore (ND) d. Sicora (M) 6-4, 6-4
Moros (ND) d. Froment (M) 6-2, 7-5
Bandy (ND) d. Ramirez (M) 6-4, 6-2
Frueh (M) d. Talmadge (ND) 6-2, 3-0 (ret)
–ND–