No. 26 Men's Tennis Upset By Notre Dame, 4-2

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March 16, 2000

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The 26th-ranked Virginia men’s tennis team suffered itssecond loss of the season as the Cavaliers fell to 36th-ranked Notre Dame4-2 in the first round of the Blue-Gray National Classic at Lagoon ParkTennis Center Thursday afternoon, March 16. With the loss, UVa falls to9-2 on the season.

The Fighting Irish won the doubles point by winning two doubles matches andclinched the victory with three singles wins.

Notre Dame took a 1-0 lead by winning the #2 and #3 doubles matches. ND’sTrent Miller and Ryan Sachire posted a 9-8 (7-4) win over the 46th-rankedduo of fourth-year John Winter (Richmond, Va./St. Christopher’s) andthird-year Tommy Croker (Alexandria, Va./St. Stephens) at #2 doubles. At#3 doubles, third-years Robert Abendroth (Lafayette, La./St. Stephens) andBrian Hunter (Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill) lost a close 9-7 match toJames Malhame and Casey Smith. The #1 doubles match was not completed.

In singles play, the Cavaliers received victories at the #1 and #2 slots,but Notre Dame took the #4, #5, and #6 singles matches to pull out thevictory. At #1, fifth-ranked third-year Brian Vahaly (Atlanta, Ga./TheLovett School) posted a 6-3, 6-3 win over 10th-ranked Sachire. Third-yearHuntley Montgomery (Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill), who is ranked 39th inthe nation, triumphed 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-7) at #2 singles over the Irish’sSmith. The match at #3 singles between UVa’s Winter and ND’s Matt Daly wasabandoned with it knotted at one set apiece.

The Fighting Irish captured the last three singles matches to pull out thewin. At #4, Javier Taborga defeated Croker 6-4, 6-3, while Andrew Laflinrecorded a 6-3, 6-2 win over Hunter at #5 singles. In the #6 match,Abendroth dropped a 6-3, 6-4 decision to Notre Dame’s Brian Farrell.

Virginia continues play in the Blue-Gray National Classic on Friday, March 17.

Notre Dame 4, Virginia 2

Singles
1. No. 5 Brian Vahaly (UVa) def. No. 10 Ryan Sachire (ND), 6-3, 6-3
2. No. 39 Huntley Montgomery (UVa) def. Casey Smith (ND), 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-7)
3. Matt Daly (ND) vs. John Winter (UVa), 7-6, 6-7, match retired
4. Javier Taborga (ND) def. Tommy Croker (UVa), 6-4, 6-3
5. Andrew Laflin (ND) def. Brian Hunter (UVa), 6-3, 6-2
6. Brian Farrell (ND) def. Robert Abendroth (UVa), 6-3, 6-4

Doubles
1. Taborga and Talarico (ND) vs. No. 14 Vahaly and Montgomery (UVa), 8-7, match retired
2. Trent Miller and Sachire (ND) def. No. 46 Croker and Winter (UVa), 9-8 (7-4)
3. James Malhame and Smith (ND) def. Abendroth and Hunter (UVa), 9-7