Men’s Tennis: TCU Concludes Regular Season with Comeback Win Over UCF

The TCU men’s tennis team concluded the 2023-24 regular season on Saturday with a win over No. 31 UCF (18-4). The No. 2 Horned Frogs (20-3) found themselves in an early hole, down 0-2, but then won four of five singles matches to win the dual 4-3.

It was Senior Day on the purple courts, and seniors Jake Fearnley and Tomas Jirousek were honored after the dual.

TCU finished undefeated at home in the regular season for the first time in the 14 years David Roditi has been head coach.

After losing the doubles point, TCU also lost the first singles match and was in a 0-2 hole. The dual came down to a winner-take-all battle on Court Five, with freshman Duncan Chan facing Santiago Giamichelle in a decisive third set. After each won a tiebreaker to win a set, Chan was able to win the third set 6-3, giving the Frogs the win.

Doubles Play – UCF Won

UCF earned break points on two and three, with both matches even at 2-2, and TCU was unable to recover.

Jack Pinnington and Pedro Vives, on Court One, got on the board first with a 6-4 win. Pinnington and Vives improved to 3-1 as partners and notched their first win together on Court One.

The Knights evened the battle on Court Two, where Jirousek and Kaj Quirijns lost 3-6.

On Court Three, Chan and Lui Maxted lost 4-6, giving the doubles point to UCF.

TCU dropped to 16-7 in doubles this season. The Horned Frogs, though, improved to 6-1 overall and 2-0 at home when losing the doubles point.

Singles Play – TCU 4 – UCF 2

UCF earned a quick point on Court Four as Jirousek lost 3-6, 4-6. He lost three deuce points in his second set and was also broken twice in the last frame.

Pinnington, on Court One, and Vives, on Court Two, both won their matches within moments to tie the dual at 2-2. Pinnington, the No. 8 singles player in the nation, won 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, and Vives won 7-6 (10-8), 6-3.

Julian Alonso put the Frogs up 3-2 with a win on Court Six, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7).

The Knights then tied it at 3-3 with a win on Court Three, where Maxted lost 6-4, 2-6, 4-6.

The dual came down to Court Five. Chan won the first set 7-6 (11-9). Giamichelle would win the second set, also in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7-0). Chan broke Giamichelle while leading 2-1 and finished out the match on serve. Chan has now earned the match-clincher in three matches tied 3-3, all of which have been vs. ranked opposition. 

Next up: TCU will meet Baylor on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Men’s Tennis Championship in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The dual will be at 12 p.m.

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