CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team is at the ITA Regional Championships hosted at the University of Illinois this weekend. Thursday was the first day of play with the first two rounds of qualifying singles play on the schedule and the Irish contingent would go 6-2 overall.
Sophomore Jameson Corsillo opened up with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Chicago State. He then followed that up with a second round come from behind win against Illinois State where he would win a pair of 6-1 sets after dropping the opening set 7-5. He was the first Irish player of the day to advance to the final round of qualifying which will take place tomorrow morning.
Shortly after Corsillo advanced, Senior Matt Halpin would clinch a spot in the final round of qualifying after a three-set battle of his own against the top seed in the qualifying draw. Halpin would get broken in the opening game of the match and that was all that opponent Luke Bayliss of Michigan State needed as they went hold for hold until the first set went to the Spartan 6-4. The Irish senior would respond with a decisive 6-1 win in the second set and force the final set. After being down 2-5 in the 3rd set and saving a pair of match points, Halpin would hold on to win a 7-2 tiebreak to clinch the 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(2) victory.
Freshman Noah Becker and Senior Braeden Ho each picked up a victory after losing their opening match. Becker would fall in 3-sets to Toledo before bouncing back with a 6-4, 6-1 win against Illinois State. Ho dropped a 6-4, 7-6 contest to a different Illinois State Redbird before responding with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Eastern Illinois.
The final round of singles qualifying will take place Friday morning for Corsillo and Halpin. After qualifying play has concluded, doubles action will begin in the afternoon. There will be five Irish teams in action when doubles play starts and three rounds on the docket for tomorrow!
Results
Corsillo(ND) def. Pahwa(CSU) 6-3, 6-0
Corsillo(ND) def. Dibildox(ISU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
Halpin(ND) def. Sandoval(CSU) 6-3, 6-4
Halpin(ND) def. Bayliss(MSU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(2)
Kleinschnitz(TOL) def. Becker(ND) 6-2, 1-6, 7-5
Becker(ND) def. Cuchran(ISU) 6-4, 6-1
Hjalte(ISU) def. Ho(ND) 6-4, 7-6
Ho(ND) def. Slabbert(EIU) 6-2, 6-3