Michigan Can't Hold Lead Against No. 9 Notre Dame

Friday, February 23

South Bend, Ind.

4:00 PM

Michigan

Notre Dame

2/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The No. 22-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision to No. 9-ranked Notre Dame Friday afternoon (Feb. 23) at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. The Wolverines (7-2) started off the match strong, winning the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead, but the Fighting Irish (9-2) answered with straight-set victories on five of the six singles courts to seal the outcome.

Freshmen George Navas (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Preparatory School) and Mike Sroczynski (Chatham, N.J./Laurel Springs School) continued their impressive play together, earning a quality 8-4 triumph over Stephen Bass and Andrew Roth at No. 3 doubles to provide the Maize and Blue with early momentum. Navas and Sroczynski have been victorious in five of their seven dual matches this season.

Michigan's No. 3-ranked doubles team of senior Brian Hung (Hong Kong, China/Sagemont Virutal School) and junior Matko Maravic (Zagreb, Croatia/V. Gimnazija) clinched the first team point for the Maize and Blue, defeating Notre Dame's No. 9-ranked pair of Ryan Keckley and Sheeva Parbhu by an 8-3 margin at No. 1. The win, which moved Hung and Maravic's overall record to 16-3, was the Wolverine tandem's second against a top-10 doubles team in 2006-07.

Senior Ryan Heller (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North HS) and sophomore Andrew Mazlin (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) were leading Brett Helgeson and Barry King 6-5 at No. 2, but the match was haulted once the doubles point was decided. 

The Irish came out firing in singles play, claiming five straight-set victories to clinch the overall team win. Michigan's lone highlight came courtesy of the 64th-ranked Hung, who posted a big 6-4, 7-5 upset over No. 27 Parbhu at No. 2. It was Hung's third win over a nationally-ranked opponent in 2006-07.

The Wolverines will face Hawaii on Thursday (March 1) and Texas A&M on Friday (March 2) at the Hilton Waikoloa Village during U-M's Spring Break trip to Waikoloa, Hawaii. Both matches are scheduled for 10 a.m. HST starts.

Following are match-by-match results:

Singles
No. 1 -- #11 Stephen Bass (UND) d. #34 Matko Maravic, 6-0, 6-1 
No. 2 -- #64 Brian Hung (U-M) d. #27 Sheeva Parbhu, 6-4, 7-5
No. 3 -- #94 Brett Helgeson (UND) d. Andrew Mazlin, 6-4, 6-4
No. 4 -- Ryan Keckley (UND) d. Ryan Heller, 6-1, 6-2
No. 5 -- Barry King (UND) d. Steve Peretz, 6-3, 6-1
No. 6 -- Andrew Roth (UND) d. Mike Sroczynski, 7-6(1), 6-1

Doubles
No. 1 -- #3 Hung/Maravic (U-M) d. #9 Keckley/Parbhu, 8-3
No. 2 -- Heller/Mazlin (U-M) vs. Helgeson/King, 6-5 (unfinished)
No. 3 -- George Navas/Sroczynski (U-M) d. Bass/Roth, 8-4 

Order of Completion: Doubles 3-1, Singles 1-4-6-3-5-2

Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423