The Georgetown University men’s tennis team earned a bid to the Big East tournament for the third year in a row. But, as in the previous year, the team was pitted against the elite of the Big East, as it opened up against a Notre Dame lineup featuring the 24th nationally ranked player, senior Brett Helgeson.

Notre Dame struck early by winning all three doubles matches, allowing Georgetown a total of three games. The Fighting Irish then rolled over the Hoyas by winning the first three singles matches, in which Georgetown played tough but was unable to take a set. Playing in an abbreviated format in which the first to four points wins the match and the remaining matches are not finished, the Hoyas were unable to take a point, and ended the match losing 4-0.

Freshman Michael Clarke played his first set against Helgeson particularly tough, having only one break separating the two, but ultimately fell 6-3, 6-1. Senior captain Adam Gross was on serve in the second set before the match was called.

After losing the first match against Notre Dame, Georgetown was placed in a consolation bracket where it was afforded a rematch with St. John’s. For a second straight day, the Hoyas were unable to muster a point, as they fell behind early in the doubles matches.

Against St. John’s, Georgetown fell just short in several of the doubles matches, which were much closer than they were against Notre Dame. Seniors Gross and Kevin Walsh barely lost a 9-8 thriller, and the freshman duo of Mieszko Tomczyk and Andrew Bruhn fell in a tight 8-6 pro-set. The Hoyas’ year came to a rather abrupt end in the singles matches, as they lost the first three matches by nearly identical 6-3, 6-0, 6-2, 6-0, 6-2 and 6-0 scorelines. Before the match was called, Clarke dropped the first set before rallying to tie up the second set 3-3. Junior David Tillem had also won his first set, and led by a break in the second.

While the Hoyas’ Big East tournament performance may have been a disappointment, they can take solace in knowing their one-two punch of Clarke and Tillem will return, and the talented yet inexperienced freshmen will come back with a full year under their belt.

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