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TCU Outlasts USC Behind Match-Clincher from Chan - TCU Athletics
LOS ANGELES – No. 2 TCU survived USC, 4-3, on Friday at David X. Marks Stadium, and for the second time in the last week, heroics from Duncan Chan sent the Horned
GoFrogs: TCU Outlasts USC Behind Match-Clincher from Chan
LOS ANGELES – No. 2 TCU survived USC, 4-3, on Friday at David X. Marks Stadium, and for the second time in the last week, heroics from Duncan Chan sent the Horned Frogs to the winners' circle.
The freshman broke the 44th-ranked Trojans' Niroop Vallabhaneni, at five games all on court six with the match gridlocked at 3-3. He then finished Vallabhaneni on serve to polish off a match-clinching 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory.
TCU claimed the doubles point and won five of the first six singles sets, yet trailed 3-2 before Chan's clutch genes set in. Jack Pinnington inched TCU ahead 2-1 with a straight set win in the top flight, but the Frogs subsequently fell in three on courts two, three and five.
Ultimately, it was Lui Maxted who set the table for the comeback. The ITA No. 87 singles player, Maxted staved off match point and evened the dual at 3-3 with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 defeat of Karl Lee at four. Chan regained the lead in set three in his match, 6-5, moments after Maxted's triumph.
Chan has now earned the match-clincher in two of TCU's last three matches. He staked the final nail in the Horned Frogs' 4-2 victory against No. 25 Baylor on Sunday.
TCU improved to 13-1 and picked up its 10th ranked win. The Horned Frogs also claimed their second victory over the Trojans (5-8) in as many seasons, having blanked USC 7-0 on March 24, 2023, in Fort Worth.
The Horned Frogs were without three-time All-American Jake Fearnley for the third straight dual.
Doubles Rundown
TCU earned the doubles point for the 10th time this season.
The 40th-ranked pairing of Duncan Chan and Lui Maxted secured early momentum, thanks to a double break that led them to a 6-3 finish of USC's Samuel Rubell and Vallabhaneni on two.
Sebastian Gorzny and Pedro Vives erased a 4-1 hole on court one to secure the 1-0 lead. Gorzny and Vives, ranked second nationally, won five straight games on their way to a 6-4 win vs. Peter Makkand Lodewijk Weststrate.
Doubles Results
- #2 Sebastian Gorzny/Pedro Vives (TCU) def. Peter Makk/Lodewijk Weststrate (USC): 6-4
- #40 Duncan Chan/Lui Maxted (TCU) def. Samuel Rubell/Niroop Vallabhaneni (USC): 6-3
- Volodymr Iakubenko/Karl Lee (USC) vs. Jack Pinnington/Tomas Jirousek (TCU): 5-4, unfinished
Singles Rundown
The the Horned Frogs still found themselves in a battle in Los Angeles despite earning the doubles point and winning five of the first six singles sets.
Gorzny, 35th in the ITA singles rankings, fell to No. 102 Lodewijk Weststrate, 6-7, 1-6, allowing USC to even the match at 1-1. The sophomore fell in a first set tiebreaker, 5-7,
The 10th-ranked Pinnington put the Frogs back in front shortly thereafter, downing No. 50 Makk in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5. He earned his ninth win in duals and 21st overall in 2023-24. Pinnington improved to 15-5 vs. ranked foes this season.
Tomas Jirousek battered Rubell via a 6-0 bagel in set one on court five, but was fell via 6-3 margins in sets two and three to allow USC to gridlock the match at two points apiece.
USC took a 3-2 lead with a Trojan win on court two. Volodymyr Iakubenko bested No. 35 Pedro Vives, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Maxted built a 3-0 lead in set one vs. Lee on his way to a 1-0 head start.
Chan broke Vallabhaneni at four games all in the opening frame of his match.
Singles Results
- #10 Jack Pinnington (TCU) def. #50 Peter Makk (USC): 6-1, 7-5
- Volodymyr Iakubenko (USC) def. #35 Pedro Vives (TCU): 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
- #102 Lodewijk Weststrate (USC) def. #53Sebastian Gorzny (TCU): 7-6 [7-5], 6-1
- #87 Lui Maxted (TCU) def. Karl Lee (USC) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
- Samuel Rubell (USC) def. Tomas Jirousek (TCU): 0-6, 6-3, 6-3
- Duncan Chan (TCU) def. Niroop Vallabhaneni (USC): 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
