SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A windy, sunny day in South Bend meant the University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team would take to the outdoor tennis courts of the Courtney Tennis Center to host the 17th ranked Florida State Seminoles Sunday. Playing the first outdoor match of the season, the Irish pushed their top-20 opponent for more than three hours before the Seminoles would pull away and take the overall win 4-2.
In doubles, the top duo for the home team, Sebastian Dominko and Jean-Marc Malkowski, won against the #14 ranked team in the nation by a 6-3 score. This win moves their record to 8-2 on the year and was their fifth victory in a row this season. After Florida State took the win at #3 doubles, the #2 pairing of Nil Giraldez and Chase Thompson won 6-3 to clinch the doubles point for the team.
In singles, Malkowski, the senior from Switzerland, put a quick point on the board with a dominating win at #5 singles, 6-4, 6-0 to extend the Irish lead. The Seminoles would pull even, with wins at #6 and #1 in straight sets. With the team score tied 2-2, the remaining matches would all go the distance.
At #2 singles, Giraldez responded after dropping the opening set 3-6 to claim the second set 6-2. The third set was close the whole way with each player breaking a couple times but no player leading by more than a single game at any time. In the end, the match would go the way of Florida State 7-5 in the final set.
Court #4 saw Jamie Corsillo battling a nationally ranked lefty from the visiting team. After dropping the first set, Corsillo battled to win the second set in a tiebreak having fought off match points in the preceding game and in the tiebreak. However, the comeback was not quite enough as Florida State would take the match and the overall team victory. Thompson’s match would remain unfinished at #3 singles in a battle that saw the two players split the first two sets, both of which went to tiebreaks.
The second match of the day and the final one of the weekend was back inside the Eck Tennis Pavilion against Cleveland State. Giraldez and Thompson made it a perfect weekend on the doubles court with a 6-3 win at #2. They are now 3-0 on the year as a pairing. Dominko partnered with Yu Zhang at #1 doubles and clinched the doubles point with a 7-5 win.
In singles, the Vikings were a formidable opponent with four of the six singles courts being extended sets of 7-5 or 7-6. But the Irish stood tough and won all six first sets in singles. Thompson,…