March 6, 2011

Complete Results

Site: Evanston, Ill. (Combe Tennis Center)
Score: No. 24 Notre Dame 6, No. 60 Northwestern 1
Records: NU (8-5, 0-0 Big Ten) Notre Dame (9-7)
Next NU Event: Tuesday, March 22 at Florida Gulf Coast • Naples, Fla. • Noon CT

EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 60 Northwestern persevered in a closely contested doubles point on the road at No. 24 Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish posted a singles sweep to erase their early deficit and win a 6-1 outcome over the Wildcats Sunday in South Bend.

Doubles play remained a strength for head coach Arvid Swan's club, who secured a 1-0 lead entering singles play for the 10th time in 13 dual matches this season. That effort has been spearheaded by the No. 1 tandem of Joshua Graves and Spencer Wolf and it was again on Sunday: Graves and Wolf downed Niall Fitzgerald and Spencer Talmadge, 8-4, for their 10th victory in 11 outings in 2011.

After Notre Dame pulled out an 8-4 win of its own at No. 3 doubles, NU's Andrew McCarthy and Tobias Reitz answered the call at the No. 2 spot with a 9-7 win over Casey Watt and Stephen Havens.

The excitement of what appeared to be a key doubles triumph was shortlived, however, as Notre Dame came out ablaze in singles play. Havens, ranked No. 124, was the first off the courts with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Wolf at No. 2, while Daniel Stahl and Blas Moros followed suit with straight-set wins of their to put NU on the brink, down 3-1.

Reitz then suffered a 7-5, 6-2 loss at No. 4 singles to Notre Dame's Greg Andrews as the Fighting Irish clinched the win.

At the No. 6 spot, NU's Chris Jackman split the outcomes of two tiebreaker sets against David Anderson to set up a third-set super breaker. The action was as close there as it had been early in the match, with Anderson prevailing late by a 10-8 score to complete the 6-1 win.

Northwestern now enters a 15-day layoff from competition before facing Florida Gulf Coast in Naples on Tuesday, March 22.

No. 24 Notre Dame 6, No. 60 Northwestern 1
Singles:
1: #64 Casey Watt (ND) def. Joshua Graves (NU), 7-6 (2), 6-4
2: #124 Stephen Havens (ND) def. Spencer Wolf (NU), 6-2, 6-2
3: Daniel Stahl (ND) def. Andrew McCarthy (NU), 6-4, 6-4
4: Greg Andrews (ND) def. Tobias Reitz (NU), 7-5, 6-2
5: Blas Moros (ND) def. Raleigh Smith (NU), 6-2, 7-5
6: David Anderson (ND) def. Chris Jackman (NU), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 1-0 (10-8)

Doubles:
1: Graves/Wolf (NU) def. Fitzgerald/Talmadge (ND), 8-4
2: McCarthy/Reitz (NU) def. Watt/Havens (ND), 9-7
3: Davis/Andrews def. Jackman/Smith (NU), 8-4

Order of Finish:
Singles (2, 3, 5, 4*, 1, 6) Doubles (1, 3, 2*)

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