The weekend opened with a strong start by junior Greg Andrews, who advanced to the second round of play in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's All-American Championships.
Andrews was among 48 automatic qualifiers and was joined by 16 players selected through qualifying rounds earlier in the week. Competition began in Tulsa, Okla., on Thursday morning and will continue into the weekend.
No. 24 Andrews faced No. 29 Clay Thompson of UCLA in the first round of play. Andrews took the match 6-0, 6-4, advancing to the next round. In round two, he met No. 9 Raymond Sarmiento of USC. Sarmiento took the victory 6-3, 6-4, knocking Andrews out of the tournament.
Andrews earned the Most Outstanding Player title at the OFCC Invitational three weeks ago in Olympia Fields, Ill.
While Notre Dame's participation in Oklahoma may be over, the rest of the team is set to compete at home in the Tom Fallon Invitational. This tournament honors Notre Dame's coach from 1957-1987 and marks the first home series of the season. Michigan, Alabama, Michigan State and Northern Illinois will join the Irish to compete at the Courtney Tennis Center and the Eck Tennis Pavilion.
"I'd say Michigan will be one of the tougher teams this weekend," junior Ryan Bandy said of the competition.
This also marks the first time the whole squad will compete together in the United States after its opening match in Ireland and split tournaments three weeks ago.
"We are looking forward to hosting a tournament and will enjoy the home field advantage, as we practice every day on these courts," Bandy said.
During the last few weeks, the Irish have focused on various areas to enhance their play.
"The past two weeks have included more practice matches and a strong focus on doubles," Bandy said.
On top of Andrews' Most Outstanding Player award, the Irish also carry three all-tournament team members into the weekend from their last round of play. Senior Blas Moros was named to the all-tournament team at the OFCC Invitational, while freshmen Nicolas Montoya and Ken Sabacinski led Notre Dame at the Vredevelt Invitational.
The Tom Fallon Invitational will open Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. and continue through Sunday.
Contact Megan Finneran at mfinnera@nd.edu
