Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Brett Helgeson is 19-3 in singles action this season.

The Irish men's tennis team will face both Wisconsin and SMU this weekend at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.

Feb. 8, 2008

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The ninth-ranked Notre Dame men's tennis squad has a busy weekend ahead as they play host to both No. 30 Wisconsin and No. 46 SMU over two days. The Irish kick-off the weekend action with the Badgers on Saturday at 1 p.m. and follow up with the Mustangs on Sunday with the match set to begin at noon. Both matches will be held at the Eck Tennis Pavilion.

Notre Dame heads into the weekend with a 5-1 record after defeating No. 13 Duke a week ago and its only loss coming against No. 1 Virginia. It will also be a final tune-up for the Irish as their next competition comes at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships on Feb. 15-17.

This will be the 61st meeting between Notre Dame and Wisconsin with the Irish leading the all-time series, 46-15. Head coach Bobby Bayliss is 17-4 vs. the Badgers with a dominating 17-match win streak over Wisconsin. Two of those wins came in 2007 as the Irish defeated them in both regular and post-season action.

It will only be the seventh meeting between the Irish and SMU, in a series that has remained tight in its existence since 1990. Notre Dame holds a slim edge over the Mustangs, leading 4-3, with all matches played under Bayliss. The last match between the two programs was in 2006 with Notre Dame taking the victory, 5-2.

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