Irish head to sunny California
By RACHEL BIBER
Sports Writer
The Irish hope to get more than a nice tan when they travel to sunny
California this weekend. Notre Dame's men's tennis squad is headed to La Jolla, California, for the 104th Pacific Coast Doubles Championships, which will be played from Friday to Sunday. The Irish will be represented by five doubles teams, who will enter the draw against professional, collegiate, and top junior players from all over the world. "We're really excited," Irish coach Bob Bayliss said. "It's a premiere event. We'll be very challenged and it will be great for our players."
Sophomores Aaron Talarico and Javier Taborga, currently ranked a
season-high 31st, stand as the top duo for the Irish, and will seek to
improve their 12-5 season record. With their recent victory over the 44th-ranked Northwestern doubles team of Joost Hol and Brad Erickson, Taborga and Talarico brought their record against ranked foes to 6-0 on the year. The formidable Irish pairing has won six of eight matches in 2000, including an 8-5 win over the 14th-ranked team of Matt Amgwerd and Nic Dubey from New Mexico in January. A five-match win streak is on the line for Taborga and Talarico as they face-off against an elite field this weekend.
Irish captain and All-American Ryan Sachire is paired up with Trent Miller to form another team for the Irish. The all-senior doubles duo has been rock solid at the No. 2 position throughout the season, notching two dominating wins against the doubles teams of Purdue and Northwestern in last weekend's dual matches. The Irish will also be represented by sophomores Casey Smith and James Malhame, who have teamed up at No. 3 doubles in eight of ten dual matches in 2000. Smith and Malhame have a 4-3 mark on the year, including a crucial 8-5 win over Kentucky's Edo Bawono and Johan Grunditz, which clinched the doubles point in the dual-match victory.
Matt Daly and Ashok Raju will also team up for the Irish this weekend in California, along with the pairing of Andrew Laflin and Brian Farrell. Although Notre Dame sends the bulk of its squad to the event, the outcome holds no bearing on team rankings or records. Coach Bayliss is looking forward to the California sun and sees the opportunity to play outside as advantageous to his team's progress. "It's a great way to break in and adjust to playing outdoors," Bayliss said.
All Sports Stories for Friday, March 3, 2000
