Jan. 24, 2009
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The Notre Dame men’s tennis team dispatched the Tribe of William & Mary by a 7-0 score to earn its first victory of the dual season at the McCormack-Nagelson Tennis Center. The Irish got singles wins from Brett Helgeson (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West), Stephen Havens (Cincinnati, Ohio/Hill Christian School), Daniel Stahl (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman), Casey Watt (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland), Sam Keeton (Kansas City, Mo./The Pembroke Hill School) and Niall Fitzgerald (Wicklow, Ireland/Blackrock College).
At first singles, Helgeson took out Keziel Juneau 6-1, 6-0 for his first dual season singles win. Finishing next was second singles, at which Havens beat Marwan Ramadan in straight-sets, 6-3, 6-2. Watt, playing at fourth singles, earned the match-clinching victory, downing Dominic Pagon, 6-4, 6-4.
Keeton got the start at No. five singles for the second consecutive match, and he delivered with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Richard Wardell. At No. six singles, Fitzgerald proved victorious in the first dual season singles start of his career, downing Ilja Orre, 5-7, 6-0, 10-5 (tiebreak). For the second consecutive match, Stahl, playing at No. 3 singles, dropped his first set (2-6), but battled back to take the next two sets (6-4, 6-2) to earn a victory over Sebastien Vidal.
The Irish also won all three of their doubles matches to take the doubles point. At No. one doubles, #37 Helgeson and Tyler Davis (Nashville, Tenn./Father Ryan HS) defeated #52 Juneau and Vidal, 8-5. Havens and Watt clinched the doubles point with an 8-3 triumph over Pagon and Ramadan. Fitzgerald and sophomore Matt Johnson (Portage, Mich./Portage Central HS) chipped in with a win over Wardell and Orre, 8-7 (9-7).
The win was Notre Dame’s first unblemished 7-0 win since taking down Ball State 7-0 on April 4, 2008. In two of Notre Dame’s last three meetings with William & Mary (2007, 2009), the Irish have come away with 7-0 sweeps.
The Irish are back in action tomorrow as they continue their road trip with a noontime showdown with #5 Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.
#30 Notre Dame vs. #64 William & MarySaturday, January 24, 2009McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center - Williamsburg, Va.
#30 Notre Dame 7, William & Mary 0
Singles competition1. #20 Brett Helgeson (UND) def. Kezial Juneau (W&M) 6-1, 6-02. Stephen Havens (UND) def. Marwan Ramadan (W&M) 6-3, 6-23. #112 Daniel Stahl (UND) def. Sebastien Vidal (W&M) 2-6, 6-4, 6-24. *Casey Watt (UND) def. Dominic Pagon (W&M) 6-4, 6-45. Samuel Keeton (UND) def. Richard Wardell (W&M) 7-5, 6-46. Niall Fitzgerald (UND) def. Ilja Orre (W&M) 5-7, 6-0, 1-0 (10-5)
Doubles competition1. #37 Helgeson/Tyler Davis (UND) def. #52 Juneau/Vidal (W&M) 8-52. *Havens/Watt (UND) def. Pagon/Ramadan (W&M) 8-33. Fitzgerald/Matt Johnson (UND) def. Wardell/Orre (W&M) 8-7 (9-7)
Match Notes:William & Mary 0-2; National ranking #64Notre Dame 1-1; National ranking #30Order of finish: Doubles (1,2*,3); Singles (1,2,4*,5,6,3)