CLEMSON, S.C. — The No. 58 Clemson men’s tennis team (10-11, 1-8 ACC) dropped a tightly fought match to No. 54 Notre Dame on Friday by a score of 4-3. The Tigers battled from a doubles loss to bring the score to 3-3, but could not pick up the decisive victory in a third set on Court 3.
“This one hurts for sure,” remarked Head Coach Robbie Weiss. “We had the match in hand but could not get over the finish line. Congrats to ND for the win. It’s been a tough year for sure but we will continue to push for some wins heading into the last 3 matches.”
The Fighting Irish got off to a strong start with two doubles victories to earn the point and take a 1-0 advantage. However, Clemson quickly found its footing and battled in singles play to ensure the match would be a close one.
Ryuhei Azuma got the ball rolling for the Tigers, picking up a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory on Court 1. Notre Dame took courts 2 and 5 to bring the score to 3-1, but Clemson fought back. Spencer Whitaker and Trey Stinchcomb each managed a victory to level the score at 3-3.
The match would be decided on Court 3 between Matt Pitts and Notre Dame’s Jean-Marc Malkowski, and three sets were needed to crown a winner. Malkowski ultimately came out on top, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to claim the victory for Notre Dame.
Clemson will be back in action on Sunday as it celebrates Senior Day on Sunday against Louisville. First serve is set for noon.
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