Sept. 13, 2002
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team got the first glimpse at the future of the program Friday, and it had to like what it saw. Four different players went undefeated as the Irish won 12 of 17 matches, including nine singles contests at the 2002 Homewood Suites Fall Tribe Classic, held at the Busch Tennis Courts on the campus of the College of William & Mary.
The tournament is an unscored three-day competition, with Notre Dame joining Minnesota, a 2002 NCAA Championships qualifier, Virginia and the host school in a random singles and doubles format. It’s the first of four fall tournaments for the Irish, who are seeking to replace six starters from last season’s club that went 23-7 and reached the round of 16 at the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1994.
Freshmen Patrick Buchanan (Fullerton, Calif./Servite HS) and Eric Langenkamp (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale HS) both had extremely successful debuts for Notre Dame, winning all three of their matches. Buchanan scored a pair of victories in the fifth singles flight, defeating Minnesota’s Clay Estes, 6-3, 6-1, and ousting Virginia’s Stephen Rozek, 6-2, 6-4. Meanwhile, in the sixth singles division, Langenkamp fought back from a one-set deficit to topple Nate McLain of Minnesota in a third-set super tiebreak, 1-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-3). The Irish rookie then easily downed Virginia’s Dillon Walker, 6-1, 6-2.
Buchanan and Langenkamp also teamed up to post a convincing win in the third doubles flight, dispatching the Virginia tandem of Walker and Kyle Hatten, 8-4.
Notre Dame also received strong performances from a pair of veterans. Junior tri-captain Luis Haddock (Caguas, P.R./Notre Dame HS) and sophomore Brent D’Amico (Centennial, Colo./Regis Jesuit HS) also went unbeaten in three matches on Friday. Haddock registered a 6-2, 6-3 win over Virginia’s Michael Duquette in the top singles division, before edging Minnesota’s Avery Ticer in the second singles flight via a third-set super tiebreak, 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8). D’Amico had an easier time in his singles contests, winning in straight sets over Chris Gonyer of Virginia, 6-2, 6-3, and Eric Robertson of Minnesota, 6-4, 6-4, at the third and fourth singles levels, respectively.
Haddock completed his Friday hat trick with a victory in the No. 3 doubles flight, combining with senior Jake Cram (Littleton, Colo./Columbine HS) for an 8-4 conquest of Minnesota’s McLain and Ticer. D’Amico had similar success in doubles action, pairing with junior tri-captain Matthew Scott (Oakton, Va./International School of Paris) in the second doubles division for an 8-5 win over the Minnesota duo of Robertson and Chris Wettengel.
Sophomore Paul McNaughton (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS) earned the other Irish victory on Friday, and Notre Dame’s third three-set victory of the afternoon, carding a 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7) triumph over Minnesota’s Adam Cohen.
Saturday’s action will feature three consecutive matches for Notre Dame. The Irish will begin by playing singles against William & Mary at 11:30 a.m. (EDT), followed by a doubles matchup with the Tribe at 3:30 p.m. (EDT). Notre Dame will complete the second day of competition with a 4:30 p.m. (EDT) doubles contest against Virginia.
On Sunday, the Irish will square off with Minnesota in singles at 9 a.m. (EDT), and will complete the tournament with doubles action against the Golden Gophers at 11:30 a.m. (EDT).
— ND —
NOTE: Complete results from the 2002 Homewood Suites Fall Tribe Classic can be found on William & Mary’s website at www.tribeathletics.com.