After an impressive win against Illinois the week before, Notre Dame men’s tennis turned up the difficulty this past weekend, taking on a fiery Northwestern team on Friday before traveling to Columbus to face No. 1 Ohio State. The Irish dominated the first duel of the weekend, sweeping Northwestern 4-0, but fell short against an impervious Buckeyes squad, losing 5-0 on Sunday. Despite the one-sided scoreline from Sunday, all matches were highly competitive and proved that this year’s Irish team has truly righted the ship.
Ahead of the looming battle on Sunday, Notre Dame had to pass a stern test from a Northwestern team on a nine-match win streak. Northwestern junior Greyson Casey and sophomore Carter Pate shocked sophomores Peter Nad and Luis Llorens Saracho, winning the one-doubles battle 6-3. Notre Dame senior duo of Sebastian Dominko and Noah Becker set things even, defeating sophomore Vincent Yang and senior Chad Miller 6-3. Freshman Nicholas Patrick and graduate student Perry Gregg snagged the doubles point for the Irish, with a 6-4 victory over juniors Ethan Schiffman and Cyrus Mahjoob.
On the singles side, Llorens Saracho defeated Miller 7-6(2), 6-1. No. 14-ranked Dominko doubled the Irish lead after a tough 7-6(4), 6-4 battle against Pate. Notre Dame sophomore Giuseppe Cerasuolo faced off against Schiffman, and after losing the first set 6-1, he roared back, winning the following sets 6-2, 6-1 to hand the Irish a 4-0 sweep. Nad, Junior Evan Lee and No. 72-ranked Gregg were all up a set before their matches were abandoned.
There was no rest for the weary, as Notre Dame travelled to Columbus for Sunday’s showdown at high noon. Dominko and Nad topped the doubles lineup for the Irish, but faced a daunting challenge against the No. 1-ranked doubles team in the nation, sophomores Nikita Filin and Brandon Carpico. Notre Dame was broken early, and after failing to convert a break point at 2-4 40-30, ultimately lost 6-3. No. 17-ranked junior duo Bryce Nakashima and Aidan Kim clinched the doubles point for the Buckeyes, defeating Patrick and Becker 6-2.
The singles match of the day was between Dominko and No. 8-ranked Kim. After going down a break early, Dominko answered back with a stunning down-the-line forehand, setting the match even. Kim broke right back, however, and controlled the match from that point, winning 6-4, 6-4 to double the lead for the Buckeyes. No. 20-ranked Ohio State junior Preston Stearns put the Buckeyes on the brink of victory, defeating Nad 6-3, 6-2. Ohio State graduate student Loren Byers won the duel for Ohio State, beating Llorens Saracho 7-6(3) 6-3 at the five-singles spot. Senior Alexander Bernard defeated Lee 6-4, 6-3, putting the duel to an emphatic finish.
Despite the lopsided result against the Buckeyes, there were plenty of positives to go around. The singles matches were kept quite close across the board, while the doubles matches showed potential against a lineup with three of the nation’s top 10 pairs. Gregg, who has been rock solid for the Irish this year, led opponent Jack Anthrop 6-4, 4-4 before his match was abandoned. Cerasuolo looked to be down and out after a 3-6 first-set loss against Nakashima, but fought back 6-2 in the second. The match against Ohio State was a solid test for the Irish and a preview of the level the Irish will encounter during their brutal March schedule.
Notre Dame heads back home this week, where they will face Florida State on Friday, before a double header against Miami and IU Indy on Sunday. Currently 9-2, the next few matches will be crucial in determining what direction the rest of the season takes.
