TCU
Wake Forest
No. 2 TCU Downs 6-Seeded Wake Forest, 4-2
2/18/2024 7:40:00 PM | Men's Tennis
NEW YORK CITY - For the third consecutive year, TCU will play for a national championship.
The second-seeded Horned Frogs took out No. 6 Wake Forest, 4-2 on Sunday in the semifinals of the ITA Indoor National Championships in New York City.
TCU (8-0) faces No. 1 Ohio State on Monday for all the marbles. First serve is set for 11 a.m. CT inside the Milstein Family Tennis Center on the campus of Columbia University.
"The guys got it done," said head coach David Roditi. "Unbelievable. Losing in doubles, then to come back and win four matches there shows great resilience again. I am so proud of these guys. They are in the finals tomorrow against a tough Ohio State team. Those guys looked really good, but we are ready for another battle. Beautiful facility here at Columbia University. Go Frogs!"
The Horned Frogs are aiming to become just the third program to win three consecutive indoor national titles alongside Virginia (2008-2011) and Stanford (1973-1976). TCU is also the first team to reach the ITA Indoor National Championships final in three straight years since USC did so from 2013-2015.
The tussle with Ohio State (12-0) marks the third meeting in as many seasons between the two storied programs, all of which have come with championship implications. TCU ousted the top-seeded Buckeyes 4-3 in the semifinals of the 2022 ITA Indoor National Championships en route to its first-ever national title. Ohio State defeated TCU 4-0 in the final four of the 2023 NCAA Championships.
For the second straight day, No. 2 TCU had to climb out of a hole after surrendering the doubles point to Wake Forest. TCU once again proved its resilience in singles, rattling off straight set victories on courts one, two, four and five to clinch the match in short order.
With the win, TCU has won 34 consecutive indoor matches and 12 straight at Indoor Nationals. The Horned Frogs improved to 18-8 all-time in the ITA National Championships and 16-4 in the tournament since 2019. TCU has defeated six straight ranked foes in 2024.
Doubles Rundown
The 20th-ranked duo of Duncan Chan and Lui Maxted gave the Horned Frogs an early lead, defeating Luca Pow and Luciano Tacchi, 6-3, on court three
Jake Fearnley and Jack Pinnington led 3-1 against Filippo Moroni and Matthew Thomson in the second flight but were broken twice on their way to a 4-6 defeat.
The loss on court two opened the door for the Demon Deacons to steal the doubles point. Holden Koons and DK Suresh downed TCU's eighth-ranked tandem of Sebastian Gorzny and Pedro Vives 6-3 and gave Wake Forest a 1-0 advantage.
Doubles Results
- No. 7 Holden Koons / DK Suresh (Wake Forest) def. No. 8 Sebastian Gorzny / Pedro Vives (TCU): 6-3
- Filippo Moroni / Matthew Thomson (Wake Forest) def. Jake Fearnley / Jack Pinnington (TCU): 6-4
- No. 20 Duncan Chan / Lui Maxted (TCU) def. Luca Pow / Luciano Tacchi (Wake Forest): 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
Singles Rundown
The Horned Frogs won five of six opening frames to wrest back control of the match.
No. 59 Lui Maxted was the first Horned Frog off the court. The junior battered Koons in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, to tie the dual at one point apiece.
Jake Fearnley, the ITA No. 62 singles player, gave the Horned Frogs a brief lead in the match as he defeated the 23rd-ranked Moroni 6-2, 6-3
The lead for the Horned Frogs was short lived, as Wake Forest responded within minutes. Tomas Jirousek fell to Wake Forest's Luca Pow, 6-1, 6-2, on court six
Once the match was tied for a second time, chaos ensued. No. 4 Jack Pinnington earned another ranked win, as he outlasted Suresh, ranked 49th nationally, 7-5, 6-2, on court two
Seconds later, fellow sophomore No. 39 Sebastian Gorzny finished the deal in the fourth flight, taking down Tacchi 6-1, 7-6 [7-3].
Singles Results
- No. 62 Jake Fearnley (TCU) def. No. 23 Filippo Moroni (Wake Forest): 6-2, 6-3
- No. 4 Jack Pinnington (TCU) def. No. 49 DK Suresh (Wake Forest): 7-5, 6-2
- No. 20 Pedro Vives (TCU) vs. Matthew Thomson (Wake Forest): 6-4, 5-3 unfinished
- No. 39 Sebastian Gorzny (TCU) def. Luciano Tacchi (Wake Forest): 6-1, 7-6 [7-3]
- No. 59 Lui Maxted (TCU) def. Holden Koons (Wake Forest): 6-1, 6-2
- Luca Pow (Wake Forest) def. Tomas Jirousek (TCU): 6-1, 6-2
Order of finish: 5, 1, 6, 2, 4
Up Next
The Horned Frogs will take on No. 1 Ohio State for the ITA Indoor National Championship on Monday. First serve is at 11 AM CST
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
5,1,2,4,6
Players Mentioned
