Men’s Tennis: TCU Advances to National Final

Men's Tennis Semifinal - No. 4 TCU vs. No. 1 Ohio State

NCAA Men’s Tennis Semifinals – Doubles – Ohio State Won
NCAA Men’s Tennis Semifinals - Singles - TCU 4 – Ohio State 2
NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship Schedule

Finally! The No. 4 TCU men’s tennis (29-4) found a way to defeat one of its most competitive nemesis when it beat No. 1 Ohio State (33-2) in a very tense dual 4-2 on Saturday afternoon.

Playing at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, TCU lost the doubles point, but by the closest of margins. To advance to the finals, they were going to have to win four of the six singles matches. And they did just that.

If you had any fingernails left going into Saturday’s match, they were most likely gone by the time this match was completed. It was a very competitive match – neither side wanted to give. But the Frogs found a way to win those four crucial singles matches.

It was a rematch of last year’s national semifinal. In that match, Ohio State beat TCU to move on to the national championship where they would lose to Virginia. Then, earlier this year, TCU was trying for a three-peat ITA Indoor National Championship. TCU was defeated by Ohio State 3-4 in that match.

The Frogs await the winner of Saturday's second semifinal – No. 2 Texas versus No. 7 Wake Forest. Sunday’s appearance will mark TCU’s first appearance in the NCAA final.

NCAA Men’s Tennis Semifinals – Doubles – Ohio State Won

It could not have been closer.

Ohio State won on Court Two when Justin Boulais and Andrew Lutschaunig defeated Sebastian Gorzny and Jack Pinnington 6-3.

TCU would fight back on Court One with Jake Fearnley and Pedro Vives defeating JJ Tracy and Robert Cash 6-4.

That meant the fate of the doubles point was on Court Three, which was determined by a tiebreaker. Cannon Kingsley and Jack Anthrop defeated Duncan Chan and Lui Maxted 7-6 (7-4).

This season, TCU is now 21-10 in doubles.

NCAA Men’s Tennis Semifinals - Singles - TCU 4 – Ohio State 2

The Frogs needed to come out strong to overcome the lost doubles point and they did just that. TCU won four of the six first singles’ sets.

Gorzny would win in straight sets on Court Five over Alexander Bernard, 6-3, 6-4, to tie the dual at 1-1.

Pinnington would follow not long after that with a 6-4, 7-5 win on Court One over Boulais to put the Frogs up 2-1.

Ohio State would tie it again at 2-2 with a three-set win on Court Four. Anthrop defeated Maxted 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.

The remaining three courts were all playing in decisive third sets. Fearnley would make it 3-2 for TCU with a dramatic win on Court Two. He defeated Kingsley 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.

Tomas Jirousek (on Court Six) and Vives (Court Three) were both down a break in their third sets but found a way to get back on serve. Jirousek would clinch for the Frogs with a 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Cash. Vives match was unfinished. He was playing Tracy with a score of 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 3-4.

NCAA Men’s Tennis National Championship Schedule

The national championship match will be played on Sunday, May 19 at 4 p.m. TCU will play either No. 2 Texas or No. 7 Wake Forest.

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