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TCU Gets Last Laugh vs. UCF, Powers into NCAA Quarterfinals - TCU Athletics
FORT WORTH – Any rumblings of an emerging rivalry between TCU and UCF were put to rest on Saturday.
GoFrogs: TCU Gets Last Laugh vs. UCF, Powers into NCAA Quarterfinals
FORT WORTH – Any rumblings of an emerging rivalry between TCU and UCF were put to rest on Saturday.
The Horned Frogs battered the Knights 4-0 at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center and bashed their way into the quarterfinals of the NCAA D1 Men's Tennis Championship.
No. 2 seed TCU dropped just two sets in the NCAA Super Regional dual. The Big 12 Champion Horned Frogs (25-3) played with their full lineup for the first time since March 11. TCU clinched the doubles point with wins on the top courts. Freshmen Albert Pedrico and Roger Pascual pushed the lead to 3-0 via shutouts on the 5-line and 6-line, respectively. Lui Maxted secured the clincher in his final match on the purple courts, downing Liam Branger, 6-2, 6-4, on court three.
TCU now draws. No. 7 seed Virginia (23-7) on Friday in the Elite Eight at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco. The Cavaliers, tabbed fourth in the final ITA regular season team rankings, defeated No. 10 Arizona 4-2 in their third round bout.
With the win over the 15th-ranked Knights, TCU has now reached the quarterfinals in six consecutive seasons and advanced to the final site of the NCAA Championships in eight of the last 10 years. No program nationwide has notched more Elite Eight berths over the last decade.
The Horned Frogs and Cavaliers are also the only teams in the country that have advanced to the final site of the NCAA Championships for 10 straight years.
TCU exacted its revenge from a 4-3 upset loss to UCF (23-9) exactly three weeks to the day in Waco in the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship. The Horned Frogs were down three players due to injury or illness, including two of the top four in their singles lineup, and saw another pair sustain injuries during the match. TCU claimed a best-of-three season series vs. the Knights, having pitched a 4-2 victory on March 14 in Orlando in the teams' first meeting. The Frogs are 3-1 opposite UCF since it joined the Big 12 in 2023.
The Horned Frogs extended their NCAA-leading home winning streak to 35 matches and finished unblemished at Bayard for the second straight year. Saturday's triumph augmented the program's all-time home postseason record to 28-1.
TCU moved to 59-33 all-time in the NCAA Tournament while head coach David Roditi spiked his career record in the flagship event to 33-9.
Doubles Rundown
The doubles point was competitive but clear.
TCU again benefited from Vives' return from a six-week injury absence. Playing his second match in the last two months, Vives and Maxted walloped No. 55 Paul Colin and Branger 6-3 and put the first court on the board for TCU.
Vives and Maxted, the reigning NCAA Doubles Champions, converted their first break point opportunity after beginning the match on serve. The nation's No. 2 overall pair, Vives and Maxted improved to 15-1 vs. ranked opponents and 24-3 overall. The senior duo has lost just once since October.
It became evident early that the first point of the match would be decided on court two.
Pedrico and Duncan Chan surrendered an early break to Medhi Benchakroun and Santiago Giamichelle on the 3-line, falling behind 1-3. The TCU tandem earned two subsequent chances to break back, first a deuce point on the ensuing game and then a run of four straight points up 40-love while trailing 3-4. TCU was unable to convert either opportunity as Benchakroun and Giamichelle claimed a 6-4 decision.
Pinnington and Woestendick competed to a 4-4 gridlock vs. Yassine Dlimi and Emilio Sanchez. They led 30-15 on receive while ahead 5-4 as TCU's defeat on three became official. Pinnington and Woestendick secured two of the next three points to polish off a 6-4 decision. They forced a deuce point up 4-3 two games prior to the clinch.
The ITA No. 32 doubles pair, Pinnington and Woestendick have now won 10 straight matches and are undefeated outdoors. Their season record stands at 14-4.
TCU finished undefeated in doubles at home (15-0) for the first time in its storied history. The Horned Frogs have claimed 10 consecutive doubles points and are 24-4 on the season.
Doubles Results
- #2 Lui Maxted / Pedro Vives (TCU) def. #55 Liam Branger / Paul Colin (UCF): 6-3
- #32 Jack Pinnington / Cooper Woestendick (TCU) def. Yassine Dlimi / Emilio Sanchez (UCF): 6-4
- Medhi Benchakroun / Santiago Giamichelle (UCF) def. Duncan Chan / Albert Pedrico (TCU): 6-4
Singles Rundown
Pedrico and Pascual's sweeps were both redemptive and vengeful.
Pedrico faced Santiago Giamichelle on court five and Pascual battled Nicolas Oliveira in the sixth position. Giamichelle and Oliveira scored the final two points in the Frogs' defeat to UCF. Pascual came up short vs. Giamichelle, transforming what was a 3-0 lead into a 3-3 gridlock. Pedrico was forced to medically retire his court shortly before.
On Saturday, the Spaniards dominated. Pascual was the first player to put a set on the board, walloping Oliveira 6-1 while Pedrico clinched the first court, downing Giamichelle 6-2, 6-3. Pascual followed suit, serving out a 6-1, 6-2 decision vs. Oliveira.
The dominance at the bottom left UCF with no pathway. TCU claimed five of the six opening sets and led on the top courts when play was halted.
Maxted raced out to a 5-0 lead in the opening frame – a score Pascual matched – and worked his way ahead to a 5-2 advantage in set two.
Pinnington was up a set on No. 63 Yassine Dlimi, whom he lost to in straight sets while compromised in Waco, 6-3, 3-4 at the time of the clinch
Vives, ranked 10th nationally, played his first singles match in exactly two months and led No. 84 Benchakround 6-4, 2-1.
Woestendick dropped set one to Colin on court four, 2-6, but was on top 5-4 on serve in the second set before leaving his match unfinished.
Maxted continues to lead TCU in singles victories behind a 28-6 season record.
Pedrico and Pascual won their second match in three starts during the NCAA Tournament.
Singles Results
- #8 Jack Pinnington (TCU) vs. #63 Yassine Dlimi (UCF): 6-3, 3-4, unfinished
- #10 Pedro Vives (TCU) vs. #84 Medhi Benchakroun (UCF): 6-4, 2-1, unfinished
- #37 Lui Maxted (TCU) def. Liam Branger (UCF): 6-2, 6-4
- #95 Cooper Woestendick (TCU) vs. Paul Colin (UCF): 2-6, 5-4, unfinished
- Albert Pedrico (TCU) def. Santiago Giamichelle (UCF): 6-2, 6-3
- Roger Pascual (TCU) def. Nicolas Oliveira (UCF): 6-1, 6-2
