Feb. 18, 2007
CHICAGO – The No. 9 Notre Dame men’s tennis team closed play at the USTA/ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championship with a 4-1 victory over No. 18 Texas in consolation action Sunday morning from the Midtown Tennis Club. The Irish improve to 8-2 on the season, while the Longhorns drop to 4-3.
After winning the doubles point, junior Sheeva Parbhu (Omaha, NE) pushed the Notre Dame lead to 2-0 following his convincing victory at No. 2. Parbhu upended #96 Milan Mihailovic in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. He improved to 9-7 on the season against ranked foes. Parbhu has knocked off 21 ranked players over his brilliant three-year career. He now stands at 17-8 overall and 7-2 in dual matches. Parbhu upped his career record to a remarkable 82-23 overall and 47-10 in dual action.
Texas drew within a point, 2-1, when sophomore Brett Helgeson (Overland Park, KS) lost at No. 3 singles. Dimitar Kutrovsky beat Helgeson in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Helgeson drops to 15-5 overall and 7-2 in dual matches.
#14 Senior Stephen Bass pushed the Notre Dame lead to 3-1 with his straight-set victory over Miguel Reyes Varela, 6-2, 7-5, at No. 1. Bass registered his team-best 19th victory of the season. Bass is now 19-8 overall and 8-2 in dual matches.
Senior Barry King (Dublin, Ireland) closed the match out for the Irish. King beat Josh Zavala in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (4), for his 18th win of the season. He is now 18-6 overall and 7-2 in dual matches.
Senior Ryan Keckley (South Bend, IN) and junior Andrew Roth (Houston, TX) were each in third set affairs at their respective matches at No. 4 and No. 6 when each were halted. Keckley dropped his opening set to Luis Diaz Barriaga, 6-4, then rebounded with a 6-1 win in the second set, but trailed in the final set, 3-2. Roth took the opening set from #100 Rook Schellenberg, 6-4, dropped the second set by the same score, 6-4, but led in the third set, 3-1.
The Irish grabbed the all-important doubles point for the second consecutive day. Notre Dame, which was unable to grab a 1-0 lead in its first-round defeat to Pepperdine, took two of the three matches against the Longhorns.
After their matches were halted each of the last two days, Bass and Roth opened doubles action with an 8-6 victory over Barriaga and Bernhard Deussner at No. 3. Bass and Roth improved to 8-3 overall and 4-1 in dual matches.
#11 Keckley and Parbhu were not able to clinch the doubles point at No. 1. They dropped their match to Zavala and Kutrovsky by a score of 8-6. Keckley and Parbhu had hoped to be the first Notre Dame doubles team to reach 20 victories. They now stand 19-6 overall and 5-5 in dual action.
Helgeson and King clinched the 1-0 lead for the Irish with their 8-5 win over Jonah Kane-West and Reyes at No. 2. Helgeson and King have captured each of their last two matches and improved to 15-6 overall and 7-3 in dual matches.
Notre Dame returns to action on Friday, Feb. 23 against Michigan. First-serve inside the Eck Tennis Pavilion between the Irish and Wolverines is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
#9 NOTRE DAME 4, #18 TEXAS 1
Singles
1. #14 Stephen Bass (ND) def. Miguel Reyes Varela (UT); 6-2, 7-5
2. #30 Sheeva Parbhu (ND) def. #96 Milan Mihailovic (UT); 6-3, 6-2
3. Dimitar Kutrovsky (UT) def. Brett Helgeson (ND); 6-2, 6-4
4. Luis Diaz Barriaga (UT) vs. Ryan Keckley (ND); 4-6, 6-1, 2-3
*5. Barry King (ND) def. Josh Zavala (UT); 6-3, 7-6 (4)
6. Andrew Roth (ND) vs. Rook Schellenberg (UT); 6-4, 4-6, 3-1
Doubles
1. Zavala/Kutrovsky (UT) def. #11 Keckley/Parbhu (ND); 8-6
*2. Helgeson/King (ND) def. Luis Diaz Barriaga/Bernhard Deussner (UT); 8-5
3. Bass/Roth (ND) def. Jonah Kane-West/Reyes (UT); 8-6
Order of Finish
Singles (2,3,1,5)
Doubles (3,1,2)
* clinched point/match
— ND —