Sept. 22, 2000

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame men’s tennis team continued its success, registering eleven victories Friday in the season opening Tom Fallon Invitational at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. Irish junior Casey Smith and freshman Luis Haddock-Morales both notched wins in singles and doubles for the second day in a row. The event, which runs through Sunday, continues Saturday with all ten teams in action. Notre Dame is scheduled to play at 10:00 am against Baylor in the Eck Tennis Pavilion.

Smith defeated Purdue’s Andrew Wakefield 6-1, 6-0, while Haddock-Morales downed Laith Al-Agba of the Boilermakers in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-3). Aaron Talarico, one day removed from an upset of 90th-ranked Trevor Spracklin of William & Mary, dropped a tough match to Boilermaker Derek Miller 1-6, 6-5 (7-4), 1-0 (10-5). Talarico served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but was unable to get the two final points to clinch the match. Miller then won two straight tiebreakers to take the victory. Other singles winners for Notre Dame were junior Andrew Laflin, sophomores Brian Farrell and Bryan Acken, and fresman Matt Scott.

Smith and Haddock-Morales teamed up to defeat Seth McKinley and Derek Miller of Purdue 8-6. In other doubles action, the ninth-ranked doubles team of juniors Javier Taborga and Aaron Talarico survived a scare to defeat Al-Agba and Scott Mayer 8-5. The Boilermaker duo jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Irish came back for their second victory in as many days. Senior Ashok Raju and junior James Malhame as well as sophomores Acken and T Moss also won in doubles play, while sophomore Brian Farrell combined with Fabien Giraud of Rice for a victory.

Singles Derek Miller (PU) def. Aaron Talarico (ND) 1-6, 6-5 (7-4), 1-0 (10-5)
Casey Smith (ND) def. Andrew Wakefield (PU) 6-1, 6-0
Scott Mayer (PU) def. Javier Taborga (ND) 6-4, 6-4
Luis Haddock-Morales (ND) def. Laith Al-Agba (PU) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-3)
Matt Scott (ND) def. Seth McKinley (PU) 6-0, 6-3
Andrew Laflin (ND) def. Troy Havens (PU) 6-5 (7-1), 6-5 (7-1)
Ryan Ariko (William & Mary) def. Jimmy Rogers (ND) 6-1, 6-3
Brian Farrell (ND) def. Andrew Metzler (Kansas) 6-2, 6-3
Bryan Acken (ND) def. Gustavo Telles (KU) 6-4, 6-1
David Stauffer (KU) def. Chancey Martin (ND) 6-3, 6-0

Doubles #9 Taborga/Talarico (ND) def. Al-Agba/Mayer (PU) 8-5
Haddock-Morales/Smith (ND) def. McKinley/Miller 8-6
Ashok Raju/James Malhame (ND) def. Havens/Wakefield 8-5
Patrick Brown/Matt Davis (WM) def. Henri Choi (Indiana State)/Rogers (ND) 8-5
Mike Garcia/Sean O’Connor (Baylor) def. Choi (ISU)/Ben Hatten (ND) 8-3
Fabien Giraud (Rice)/Brian Farrell (ND) def. Alex Barragan/Metzler (KU) 8-2
Acken/T Moss (ND) def. David Stauffer/Telles (KU) 8-5