Comeback Magic Strikes on Senior Day

Saturday, April 13

Fort Worth, Texas

2 PM

TCU

UCF

Comeback Magic Strikes on Senior Day

4/13/2024 7:03:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score

No. 2 TCU rallies from 2-0 hole vs. UCF, defeats 31st-ranked Knights 4-3

FORT WORTH – TCU absorbed the UCF Knights' best shot, but it still was not enough to knock out the nation's No. 2 ranked team on Saturday.

After trailing 2-0, the Horned Frogs won four of five singles matches to survive the 31^st-ranked Knights, 4-3.

And on an afternoon the Horned Frogs celebrated Senior Day, it was two freshmen who stood tall.

Tied 2-2, Julian Alonso put TCU within a point of the clinch, defeating UCF's Mehdi Benchakroun, 6-4, 7-6 (9). The first-year Frog evened the second set at 4-4 on a break, then clinched the tiebreaker on receive.

Moments later, the Knights gridlocked the match at three points apiece with a three-set win on court three.

It all came down to a winner-take-all third set on five, where freshman Duncan Chan overpowered fifth-year Santiago Giamichelle 6-3 to clinch the match. Chan and Giamichelle split tiebreakers in the first two frames. From Markham, Ontario, 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.

The Horned Frogs conclude the regular season 20-3 overall and 5-2 in Big 12 play. TCU was without two of its top four players in Jake Fearnley and Sebastian Gorzny for the entirety of league play.

TCU also finished undefeated at home in the regular season for the first time in 14 years with head coach David Roditi at the helm.

The Horned Frogs garnered the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Championship, held from April 19-21 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, with the defeat of the Knights (18-4, 4-3 Big 12). The Horned Frogs have finished in the top-three of the Big 12 standings for nine consecutive seasons.

Doubles Rundown

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 got on the board first on the top court, defeating UCF's Santiago Giamichelle and Lleyton Cronje 6-4. The duo scored TCU's first and only break tied 3-3. Pinnington then served out four straight points with the tandem ahead 5-4. Pinnington and Vives improved to 3-1 as partners and notched their first win together on court one.

The Knights evened the affair shortly thereafter. Liam Branger and Paul Colin secured a double break on three opposite Tomas Jirousek and Kaj Quirijns on their way to a 6-3 victory.

The doubles point was in turn decided on court two, where the 77th-ranked tandem of Chan and Lui Maxted battled Francisco Llanes and Emilio Sanchez. Chan and Maxted were ahead love-40 and leading 2-1 but failed to convert all four chances for a break. The missed opportunity loomed large, as the UCF duo broke on a deuce point the following frame on their way to a 6-4 clinch.

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.

Doubles Results

Jack Pinnington / Pedro Vives (TCU) def. Santiago Giamichelle / Lleyton Cronje (UCF): 6-4
Francisco Llanes / Emilio Sanchez (UCF) def #77 Duncan Chan / Lui Maxted (TCU): 6-4
Liam Branger / Paul Colin (UCF). Tomas Jirousek / Kaj Quirijns (TCU): 6-3

Order of finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles Rundown

Initially, straights appeared dire for the Horned Frogs. UCF took the opening set on one and four and went ahead 2-0 after Branger downed Jirousek, 6-3, 6-4, in the fourth flight.

Jirousek lost three deuce points in set two and was broken twice in the first frame.

Pinnington, No. 8 in the ITA singles rankings, dropped the first set 3-6 to UCF's top player, the 115^th-ranked Cronke. But in conjunction with Vives, who played on two for the eighth consecutive dual, the Frogs' top of the lineup shifted momentum back in favor of purple and white.

A sophomore, Pinnington secured a double break of Cronje in set two. Then, on a day Vives celebrated his 21^st birthday, the duo served out their matches with simultaneous clinches. Vives clinched first, methodically breaking down Llanes, 7-6 (8), 6-3. Pinnington polished off a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win seconds later.

TCU was 4-1 in singles tiebreakers. Chan outlasted Giamichelle in a wild 11-9 tiebreaker in set one before the Knight got the better of him 7-0 in set two. Alonso built a commanding 6-3 lead in his set two tiebreaker vs. Benchakroun.

Pinnington improved to 27-7 in singles play and 9-2 on court one this season. He is now 20-6 vs. ranked opponents.

Vives has won four matches in as many starts.

Chan and Alonso are now a respective 11-5 and 8-5 overall.

Singles Results

#8 Jack Pinnington (TCU) def. #115 Lleyton Cronje (UCF): 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
#58 Pedro Vives (TCU) def. Francisco Llanes (UCF): 7-6 [10-8], 6-3
Paul Colin (UCF) def. #57 Lui Maxted (TCU): 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Liam Branger (UCF) def. Tomas Jirousek (TCU): 6-3, 6-4
Duncan Chan (TCU): def. Santiago Giamichelle (UCF): 7-6 [11-9], 6-7 [0-7], 6-3
Julian Alonso (TCU) def. Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF): 6-4, 7-6 [9-7]

Order of finish: 4, 2, 1, 5, 3, 5

Up Next

TCU meets Texas Tech (9-14, 1-6 Big 12) on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship. The Red Raiders received the No. 7 seed in the seven-team tournament. TCU blanked Texas Tech 4-0 on April 6 in Fort Worth.