Sept. 29, 2000

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Notre Dame men's tennis team won six of eight singles matches and two of three doubles matches on the first day of the Charles Fluitt Collegiate Classic at the University of Kentucky. Juniors Aaron Talarico, Javier Taborga, Andrew Laflin and James Malhame, sophomore Brian Farrell and freshman Luis Haddock-Morales all posted singles for the Irish, who won five of six singles matches against the host Wildcats.

Haddock-Morales improved to 5-0 on the season in both singles and in doubles with junior Casey Smith. He beat Reven Stephens 6-3, 6-3 in singles and teamed with Smith for an 8-7 win over Kentucky's Johan Grunditz and Gustav Pousette in doubles.

Talarico beat Pousette in singles 1-6, 6-5, 1-0 (11-9), while Taborga defeated Grunditz 6-2, 6-5. Laflin rallied to beat Justin Kinney 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, while Farrell won 6-5, 6-4 over Elliot Datlow. Malhame defeated Tennessee's Cory Ross 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Notre Dame's ninth-ranked doubles team of Taborga and Talarico lost 8-7 to Edo Bawono and Stephens. Malhame and Raju won 8-7 over Datlow and Kinney.

Singles

Aaron Talarico (ND) def. Gustav Pousette (Kentucky) 1-6, 6-5, 1-0 (11-9)

Edo Bawono (Kentucky) def. Casey Smith (ND) 6-1, 6-2

Javier Taborga (ND) def. Johan Grunditz (Kentucky) 6-2, 6-5

Luis Haddock-Morales (ND) def. Reven Stephens (Kentucky) 6-3, 6-3

Andrew Laflin (ND) def. Justin Kinney (Kentucky) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

Brian Farrell (ND) def. Elliot Datlow (Kentucky) 6-5, 6-4

Mike Garcia (Baylor) def. Ashok Raju (ND) 6-0, 6-0

James Malhame (ND) def. Cory Ross (Tennessee) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

Doubles

Bawono/Stephens (Kentucky) def. #9 Talarico/Taborga (ND) 8-7

Haddock-Morales/Smith (ND) def. Grunditz/Pousette (Kentucky) 8-7

Malhame/Raju (ND) def. Datlow/Kinney (Kentucky) 8-7