Sept. 21, 2000
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Notre Dame men’s tennis team opened its 2000-01 season as host of the Tom Fallon Invitational on Thursday and won 12 of 13 matches against William & Mary at the Courtney Tennis Center. Irish junior Aaron Talarico defeated William & Mary’s 90th-ranked Trevor Spracklin 7-5, 6-2 in singles and later teamed with junior Javier Taborga for a win in doubles. The event, which runs through Sunday, continues Friday as the remaining eight teams in the field begin play.
The ninth-ranked Taborga and Talarico team edged Spracklin and Geoffrey Russell 9-8 (10-8) in a seesaw match. The Irish juniors led 7-4 before the Tribe rallied to tie the set at 7-7 and then led 6-4 in the tiebreaker. Taborga and Talarico came back in the tiebreaker to win six of the last eight points to start the season with a victory. Taborga and junior Casey Smith also posted straight-set singles wins, while freshmen Luis Haddock-Morales and Matt Scott had successful debuts. Haddock-Morales defeated Patrick Brown 6-4, 6-3, while Scott beat Geoffrey Russell 6-3, 6-4. Other singles winners for the Irish were junior Andrew Laflin and sophomores Brian Farrell, Bryan Acken and Chancey Martin.
Haddock-Morales and Smith won 8-5 in doubles over Brian Lubin and Jody Strik. Senior Ashok Raju and Scott teamed up for an 8-7 win in doubles, while William & Mary’s Charles Briggs and Ryan Ariko beat junior James Malhame and sophomore Jake Cram 8-3 in doubles.
Singles
Aaron Talarico (ND) def. #90 Trevor Spracklin (WM) 7-5, 6-2
Casey Smith (ND) def. Brian Lubin (WM) 7-6 (3), 6-2
Javier Taborga (ND) def. Jody Strik (WM) 6-3, 6-3
Luis Haddock-Morales (ND) def. Patrick Brown (WM) 6-4, 6-3
Matt Scott (ND) def. Geoffrey Russell (WM) 6-3, 6-4
Andrew Laflin (ND) def. Ryan Ariko (WM) 6-4, 6-7 (2), 1-0 (10-8)
Brian Farrell (ND) def. Chris Erikson (WM) 6-4, 1-0, ret.
Bryan Acken (ND) def. Matt Davis (WM) 6-7, 7-5, 1-0 (10-7)
Chancey Martin (ND) def. Charles Briggs (WM) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles
#9 Taborga/Talarico (ND) def. Russell/Spracklin (WM) 9-8 (8)
Haddock-Morales/Smith (ND) def. Lubin/Strik (WM) 8-5
Ashok Raju/Scott (ND) Brown/Davis (WM) 8-7 (3)
Briggs/Ariko (WM) def. Jake Cram/James Malhame (ND) 8-3