Men’s Tennis: TCU Will Have A Chance To Three-Peat
Tennis anyone? The indoor Men’s Tennis team began its spring schedule. The No. 5 Horned Frogs opened with a home win on Wednesday night over Abilene Christian, 7-0. Then, over the weekend, the Frogs won the TCU regional championship of the ITA Kickoff Weekend with 4-0 sweeps over Rice and Tulsa.
The No. 5 TCU Horned Frogs defeated Rice and Tulsa in the Fort Worth Regional of the ITA Kickoff Weekend. They will have an opportunity to defend their back-to-back natties at the ITA Indoor National Championships next month in New York.
TCU was one of 15 programs across the country to host ITA Kickoff Weekend. Winners of each regional bracket advance to the ITA Indoor National Championships, which will be held February 16-19 in New York City. TCU hosted a regional for the ninth straight year.
TCU is the two-time defending ITA Indoor National Champions, having won the event in 2022 and 2023. With the win this past weekend, TCU will have an opportunity to three-peat and defend their championships.
Joining the Frogs in New York next month are No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 South Carolina, No. 3 Virginia, No. 4 Texas, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 7 USC, No. 8 Duke, No. 13 Arizona, No. 14 Michigan, No. 15 Harvard, No. 17 Wake Forest, No. 18 Texas A&M, Alabama, and Arizona State.
Here are the highlights from the first three matches of the spring season against ACU, Rice, and Tulsa:
TCU 7 – Abilene Christian 0 – January 24
TCU did not drop a set in its season opener last Wednesday against Abilene Christian. The Frogs easily won 7-0. The Horned Frogs moved to 42-9 all-time in season-openers and 12-2 under Roditi with the victory. Roditi has yet to drop a home opener since assuming the program helm in 2010.
Doubles Play – TCU Won
- On Court One, the No. 15 ranked pair of junior Lui Maxted and freshman Duncan Chan won the first match 6-4. This was their 12th victory together in the 2023-24 season.
- Then, on Court Two, junior Pedro Vives and freshman Kaj Quirijns, playing together for the first time, also won their set 6-4.
- On Court Three, sophomore Jack Pinnington and junior Luke Swan were down 5-6 when the doubles point was won.
Singles Play – TCU won 6-0
- Jake Fearnley, a fifth-year senior playing on Court One, got the first win in the singles matches starting with a quick 6-1, 6-0.
- Chan, making his dual debut, won 6-2, 6-2 on Court Four to put TCU up 3-0.
- On Court Three, sophomore No. 30 Sebastian Grozny, 2022-23 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, also won his match 6-2, 6-2. His win clinched the dual win for the Horned Frogs. Both coaches agreed, though, to continue to play the other three matches.
- Pinnington, the ITA National Fall Championships runner-up and current No. 3 singles player in the nation, won 6-2, 6-1 on Court 2.
- Fifth-year senior Tomas Jirousek, on Court Five, won 6-2, 6-2.
- The final match, played as a single pro set, was won by freshman Julian Alonso 6-1 on Court Six.
TCU 4 – Rice 0 – January 24
In the first round of the ITA Kickoff Regional, TCU faced Rice on Saturday afternoon. The Frogs easily took care of the Owls to advance to the Regional Championship.
Doubles Play – TCU Won
- On Court Two, Fearnley and Pinnington quickly won their set 6-1
- Then on Court One, the No. 7 ranked pair of Gorzny and Vives won their match 6-4 to clinch the doubles point for TCU.
Singles Play – TCU won 3-0
- Again, Fearnley, on Court One, was the first to blaze through his match, winning 6-1, 6-4
- Maxted, playing on Court Four, earned a double break in a 6-3 set one triumph. He finished the match with a 6-0 bagel.
- No. 14 Vives clinched the sweep for TCU with a 6-2, 7-5 win on Court Three.
TCU 4 – Tulsa 0 – January 28
In the Regional Championship, TCU had no problem with the Golden Hurricane, winning 4-0. The win gives TCU their sixth-straight trip to the ITA Indoor National Championships. TCU also improved to 27-4 in home indoor matches since 2018.
Doubles Play – TCU Won
- Fearnley and Pinnington, on Court Two, got out to a 5-0 start before finishing their set with a 6-1 win.
- Chan and Maxted, on Court Three, clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 win.
- TCU is now 53-7 in doubles over the last three seasons. The Horned Frogs have not lost a doubles point on the indoor courts in two years.
Singles Play – TCU won 3-0
- Fearnley, on Court One, won 6-2, 6-0. He was the first off the court in all three matches to open the spring season.
- Pinnington, on Court Two, trailed 1-2 in the first set but came back to win 6-3, 6-3.
- Maxted clinched the championship on Court Four with a 7-6, 6-3 win.
Next up: The Horned Frogs host a pair of top-ten opponents this weekend. First up is No. 9 Stanford at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, February 2. Then, TCU will host No. 6 Tennessee at noon on Sunday, February 4.
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