TCU Men's Tennis: Match Point

After leading the Frogs to victory in the 2022 ITA Team Indoor Championship in Seattle, TCU Junior Sander Jong has been named Big 12 Player of the Week. Jong won both his doubles and singles matches in the quarter- and semi-final, as well as the final, to help TCU secure its first ever National Championship.

Though the day began inauspiciously for Jong, having lost both his matches in the Round of 16, he persevered, winning all six of the remaining matches of the tournament, and all but one set, to earn the National Championship for TCU.

With his partner, Lui Maxted, Jong clinched the doubles point in the quarterfinals against No. 14 Texas. They won the final four games of the match for a 6-3 victory, putting TCU in the lead, 1-0. In singles, Jong performed just as impressively, winning four of his first five games in his opening set to sail 6-3 before fighting his opponent to a tie-break in the second set, which he won 7-5. The victory put TCU up 3-0, allowing Juan Carlos Aguilar to seal the sweep a few minutes later.

Jong, a native of Amsterdam, proved TCU's greatest hope in the semifinal matchup against No. 1 Ohio State. Again with Maxted, he easily vanquished the No. 2-ranked doubles team in the country for a 6-2 victory. The Frogs then clinched a 1-0 advantage in what would prove the closest match of the tournament. In singles, all five of the other matches were decided in straight sets. With a score tied at 3-3, Jong was beginning his second set tiebreaker in the lead (6-4, 6-6). After a defeat, he bounced back with a 6-0 sweep in the third set, spelling victory for himself and the Frogs and securing the team a spot in the National Championship the next day. That second set would prove his only defeat in the final three rounds of the tournament.

In the finals, against No.3-seed Tennessee, Jong showed neither nervousness nor remorse, winning two more matches for the Frogs. In doubles, he and Maxted secured the first break-of-serve for TCU, leading 4-2 in what would amount to a 6-3 victory. They were once again first to finish, allowing Luc Fomba and Jake Fearnley to clinch the doubles point on court one. In singles, Jong was customarily self-assured, winning the final four games of his opening set against No. 110 Emile Hudd, and dominating the set, 6-2. In the second, though behind, Jong rallied his spirits and again conquered his opponent in the final four games, to win the set, 6-4, and win the match in straight sets, putting TCU in front, 3-0, while Tennessee attempted to rally on the other courts. Jong's momentum spurred the Horned Frogs to a 4-1 win, thanks to Pedro Vives's victory at No. 4. Thus, TCU won its first ever National Championship.

Next up: Jong and the Horned Frogs will have some time off before opening the 2022 outdoor season, at home, against No. 20 Michigan on Wednesday, March 2, at 1 p.m. The matches are free to attend at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.

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