Nov. 3, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Notre Dame men’s tennis team split its two singles matches and dropped its only doubles match in first day action from the 2006 ITA National Indoor Championships at the Racquet Club of Columbus.
No. 21 senior Stephen Bass (Bronxville, N.Y./Iona Prep School) eliminated No. 26 Greg Ouellette of Florida, 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-5. Ouellette, who won the Region III qualifying tournament last month, was 7-0 on indoor courts entering the indoor national championships. Bass moves into the second round and will face 2005 ITA All-American National Champion and second-seeded John Isner of Georgia on Friday.
No. 20 junior Sheeva Parbhu (Omaha, Neb./Millard North) opened his match with Harel Srugo of Old Dominion on a good note, taking the first set in a tie-breaker, 7-6 (10-8), but promptly dropped the second and third sets, 6-4, 6-1. Parbhu will face Jakub Cech of Fresno State in consolation action on Friday.
The Irish doubles team of Parbhu and senior Ryan Keckley (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph’s), ranked No. 36, was dealt the unenviable task of facing fourth-seeded and No. 21 Markus Dickhardt and Christian Groh of San Diego State in the opening round. The match went back and forth, but Dickhardt and Groh held on for an 8-6 victory. Parbhu and Keckley will play Bobby Cameron and Kaden Hensel of Tennessee in consolation action on Friday.
The ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships were inaugurated in 1978 for the men and 1984 for the women and recent champions and finalists include current and recent top 100 professionals Benjamin Becker (Baylor), James Blake (Harvard), Bob and Mike Bryan (Stanford), Laura Granville (Stanford), Marissa Irvin (Stanford), Kevin Kim (UCLA), Jeff Morrison (Florida) and Lisa Raymond (Florida). Big Ten legends and Grand Slam finalists Todd Martin (Northwestern) and MaliVai Washington (Michigan) are also among the past champions.
Results for the rest of the weekend’s action will be posted at www.und.com.
— ND —