Jan. 28, 2017
By Joanne Norell
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team got back into the win column Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Penn State in the consolation match of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center at the University of North Carolina.
How It Happened
The Irish took an early lead after doubles, winning the point with victories on Courts 1 and 3. At the No. 3 slot, sophomore Grayson Broadus and junior Brendon Kempin defeated Christos Antonopoulos and Matt Galush 6-2. Tight matches continued on the remaining courts, but 10th-ranked seniors Eddy Covalschi and Josh Hagar clinched the point with a 7-5 victory over Constant De La Bassetiere and Christian Lakoseljac.
Notre Dame (2-2) scored the next two points to go up 3-0, as Broadus cruised to a 6-0, 6-3 win over Henry Gordon at No. 5 and 119th-ranked junior Alex Lebedev upended Christos Antonopoulos 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3.
The Nittany Lions (0-2) got a point back on Court 2 when Lakoseljac defeated Covalschi, 6-2, 6-2.
The Irish clinched the victory with the next decision, however, as freshman Matt Gamble picked up his team-best third dual victory of the year with a 7-6(3), 6-3 over Marc Collado on Court 4. Gamble improved to 3-1 on the season.
In the remaining matches, Hagar held a lead into the second set on Court 1, while freshman Guillermo Cabrera had forced a third set on Court 6 before the match was abandoned.
Up Next
The Irish will return home next weekend to face Monmouth and William & Mary at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET, respectively, on Saturday at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
Scoreboard
Notre Dame 4, Penn State 1
January 28, 2017
Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center
Singles
1. No. 27 Josh Hagar (ND) vs. Constant De La Bassetiere (PSU) 7-5, 3-3, unfinished
2. Christian Lakoseljac (PSU) def. Eddy Covalschi (ND) 6-2, 6-2
3. No. 119 Alex Lebedev (ND) def. Christos Antonopoulos (PSU) 6-4, 6-1
4. Matt Gamble (ND) def. Marc Collado (PSU) 7-6(3), 6-3
5. Grayson Broadus (ND) def. Henry Gordon (PSU) 6-0, 6-3
6. Guillermo Cabrera (ND) vs. Ben Lieb (PSU) 3-6, 7-6(6), 0-0, unfinished
Doubles
1. No. 10 Eddy Covalschi / Josh Hagar (ND) def. Constant De La Bassetiere / Christian Lakoseljac (PSU) 7-5 2. Matt Gamble / Alex Lebedev (ND) vs. David Kohan / Christian Lutschaunig (PSU) 6-6, unfinished 3. Grayson Broadus / Brendon Kempin (ND) def. Christos Antonopoulos / Matt Galush (PSU) 6-2
— ND —
Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, and earned her master’s degree in sports industry management from Georgetown University in 2013.