Jan. 29, 2007
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The No. 13 Notre Dame men’s tennis team blanked No. 58 Indiana, 7-0, on Monday inside the Eck Tennis Pavilion. The Irish have captured each of their last two matches by identical 7-0 scores and improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Hoosiers drop to 4-1.
“I have all the respect in the world for coach Hydinger and his program,” said head coach Bobby Bayliss. “Indiana came ready to play today and we had to play one of our better matches to win. Thankfully, we were able to do so in a number of different matches.”
Junior #30 Sheeva Parbhu (Omaha, NE) clinched the victory for the Irish with his 6-3, 6-4, straight-set victory over Dara McLoughlin. Parbhu found himself down 3-2 in the opening set, but won the final four games to register a 6-3 victory. McLoughlin, again, grabbed an early lead in the second set, 3-0, but Parbhu would not be denied and rebounded for a 6-4 win. Parbhu improved to 12-7 overall and 2-1 in dual action.
Despite the team match already settled, the best match of the afternoon took place at No. 6 singles. Junior Andrew Roth (Houston, TX) outlasted Peter Antons in three-sets, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5. Roth trailed 4-3 in the third and final set, rallied to take a 5-4 lead and had a chance to break serve for the victory, but Antons tied the game at 5-5. Roth quickly took a 6-5 lead and broke when Antons’ double-faulted for a 7-5 triumph. With the victory, Roth improved to 10-6 overall and 2-1 in dual action. The victory is his first this season when dropping the opening set.
Senior Ryan Keckley (South Bend, IN) pushed the Notre Dame lead to 2-0 following his 6-1, 6-1 straight-set rout of Arnaud Roussel of Indiana. Keckley improved to 11-2 overall and 3-0 in dual action. He remains the only Irish player still undefeated in dual play. Keckley has dropped a total of just four games in his last two victories.
Senior Barry King (Dublin, Ireland) gave Notre Dame a 3-0 advantage with his straight-set 6-3, 6-4 victory over Thomas Richter at No. 3. After winning rather handedly in the first set, 6-3, King found himself down a break and 3-2, but rallied back for a 6-4 triumph. King improved to 13-5 overall and 2-1 in dual action with his second consecutive straight-set win.
Senior #14 Stephen Bass (Bronxville, NY) picked up the only victory of the afternoon against a national-ranked opponent. Bass knocked off #48 David Bubenicek, 6-3, 7-6 (1). Bubenicek entered the match 14-3 overall and 4-0 in dual action, but was no match for Bass. With the victory, he improves to 13-7 overall and 3-1 in dual action. Bass also evens his record at 7-7 this year against nationally ranked foes.
Sophomore Brett Helgeson (Overland Park, KS) also recorded a straight-set victory at No. 4. Helgeson upended Michael McCarthy, 6-3, 7-5. He now stands 10-4 overall and 2-1 in dual action.
The Irish grabbed a 1-0 lead after winning each of the three doubles matches. Notre Dame’s No. 1 doubles team of Parbhu and Keckley were the first to post a win. They had little difficulty with the Hoosiers’ McLoughlin and Richter, 8-3. The Irish did fall behind 1-0 when they were broken in the opening game, but proceeded to break the Indiana squad two straight times and grabbed a 3-1 lead. After the Hoosiers broke to cut the deficit to 3-2, Parbhu and Keckley won four straight games, including two more service breaks, to grab an insurmountable 7-2 lead. The Irish duo, which is ranked #11 in the most recent ITA poll, improved to a team-best 16-2 overall and 2-1 in dual action.
Notre Dame clinched the doubles point when King and Helgeson got past Bubenicek and Antons of Indiana at No. 2, 8-5. The Irish raced out to a 7-2 lead, only to watch the Hoosiers rally back to 7-5, but Notre Dame broke Indiana to secure the victory. King and Helgeson improved to 10-4 on the season and 2-1 in dual action.
Bass and Roth also won their match against McCarthy and Roussel at No. 3. Despite falling behind 3-2 early in the match, the duo won three straight games, taking a 5-3 lead, and never looked back in an 8-4 triumph. Bass and Roth improve to 6-2 overall and 2-1 in dual action.
Notre Dame returns to action this weekend against #15 Florida State and #7 Duke. The Irish and Seminoles will get underway on Friday, Feb. 2 at 4 p.m., while the match-up with the Blue Devils will start at noon on Sunday, Feb. 4.
#13 NOTRE DAME 7, #58 INDIANA 0
Singles
1. #14 Stephen Bass (ND) def. #48 David Bubenicek (IU), 6-3, 7-6 (1)
2. #30 Sheeva Parbhu (ND) def. Dara McLoughlin (IU), 6-3, 6-4
3. Barry King (ND) def. Thomas Richter (IU), 6-3, 6-4
4. Brett Helgeson (ND) def. Michael McCarthy (IU), 6-3, 7-5
5. Ryan Keckley (ND) def. Arnaud Roussel (IU), 6-1, 6-1
6. Andrew Roth (ND) def. Peter Antons (IU), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
Order of finish: 5, 3, *2, 4, 1
* clinching point
Doubles
1. #11 Parbhu/Keckley (ND) def. McLoughlin/Richter (IU), 8-3
2. King/Helgeson (ND) def. Bubenicek/Antons (IU), 8-5
3. Bass/Roth (ND) def. McCarthy/Roussel (IU), 8-4
Order of finish: 1, *2, 3
* clinching point
— ND —