COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sophomore Venkat Iyer won at No. 1 singles, and the men's tennis team also took the doubles point before eventually falling to Notre Dame, 4-2, on Sunday in a consolation match of the Intercollgiate Tennis Association's Kick-Off Weekend.
 
The 44th-ranked Big Red (2-2) got off to a strong start by winning the Nos. 2 and 3 doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead on the 28th-ranked Irish (4-2). Freshmen Sam Fleck and Jason Luu defeated the team of Casey Watt and Greg Andrews, 9-7, at No. 2 to negate Notre Dame's win at the No. 1 spot. Freshmen Quoc-Daniel Nguyen and Alex Sidney then secured the doubles point with a 8-6 victory over Sam Keeton and Billy Pecor at No. 3.
 
The Irish answered back by taking the first two singles points at the sixth and second positions. Iyer, ranked 98th nationally, then tied the match at 2 with a 7-6, 7-6 victory over Watt at No. 1. Notre Dame then won the next two matches to sew it up.
 
The Big Red continues the non-league portion of its schedule next weekend with a trip south to face No. 57 North Carolina State at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5.
 
#28 NOTRE DAME 4, #44 CORNELL 2
At Varsity Tennis Center; Columbus, Ohio
Singles
1. #98 Venkat Iyer (CU) def. Casey Watt, 7-6, 7-6
2. Greg Andrews (ND) def. Sam Fleck, 6-2, 7-5
3. #74 Sam Keeton (ND) def. Quoc-Daniel Nguyen, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. Billy Pecor (ND) vs. Danny Riggs, 4-6, 7-6, 2-2 (unfinished)
5. Blas Morosros (ND) def. Alex Sidney, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
6. Michael Moore (ND) def. Jason Luu, 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
1. Niall Fitzgerald/Spencer Talmadge (ND) def. Venkat Iyer/Danny Riggs, 8-1
2. Sam Fleck/Jason Luu (CORNELL) def. Casey Watt/Greg Andrews, 9-7
3. Quoc-Daniel Nguyen/Alex Sidney (CORNELL) def. Sam Keeton/Billy Pecor, 8-6
Order of finish
Doubles (1, 2, 3); Singles (6, 2, 1, 5, 3)