TCU betters a top-20 opponent for first time since 2009
PALO ALTO, Calif. – TCU’s men’s tennis team picked up its biggest win of the David Roditi era Tuesday, claiming a 5-2 win over Stanford at the Cardinal’s Taube Tennis Stadium.
No. 68-ranked TCU improved to 5-2 on the year and bounced back from a 6-1 defeat to No. 16 Texas A&M on Saturday. The Cardinal slipped to 3-2 this season. The win marked TCU’s first over a top-20 opponent since Feb. 21, 2009 when the Horned Frogs downed No. 17 Tulsa, 4-3.
“With the exception of a few points here and there, I thought that was the best doubles we’ve played at No. 2 doubles,” TCU coach David Roditi said. “To go on the road and win a doubles point makes a huge difference and it gives you momentum going into singles.
“Facundo did a great job of getting on top and increasing our lead in singles. Overall, I’m really proud of the guys for the way they competed and bounced back from the A&M match. It’s not easy to beat a team like Stanford. We capitalized on a good opportunity because they have a young team this year.”
TCU got things going early with wins on Nos. 1 and 2 doubles to take a 1-0 lead. The Frogs’ No. 2 tandem of Max Stevens and JT Sundling were first to win, claiming an 8-4 win at the expense of 57th-ranked Jamin Ball and Trey Strobel.
It was Nick Chappell and Will Stein who clinched the point for the Frogs when they followed with an 8-4 triumph of their own over John Morrissey and Matt Kandath on the top doubles court.
The Frogs looked in position to run away as singles began as Facundo Lugones quickly took care of Nolan Paige, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 3 singles and pushed the TCU advantage to 2-0. Stanford cut the lead in half at No. 6 singles, but, after building a healthy cushion in the second set, Arnau Dachs made it 3-1 TCU with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Kandath at No. 2 singles.
Senior Orlando Superlano provided the clinching point for TCU, a 7-6 (5), 7-5 downing of Maciek Romanowicz at No. 4 singles. The San Cristobal, Venezuela native improved to 6-1 in singles this season with his fifth-straight win after clinching the first set on a between-the-legs lob shot.
After the match had been clinched, Stanford scored its second point only to see Sundling provide the exclamation point for the Frogs, dropping Robert Stineman, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 at No. 5 singles to polish off the 5-2 victory.
TCU returns to action Feb. 10 when it travels to Tulsa to take on the No. 17 Golden Hurricane and Oral Roberts in a Sunday doubleheader.
MATCH RESULTS – No. 68 TCU 5, No. 19 Stanford 2
SINGLES
No. 1 – #39 John Morrissey (Stanford) def. Nick Chappell (TCU), 7-5, 7-5
No. 2 – Arnau Dachs (TCU) def. Matt Kandath (Stanford), 6-3, 7-5
No. 3 – Facundo Lugones (TCU) def. Nolan Paige (Stanford), 6-2, 6-3
No. 4 – Orlando Superlano (TCU) def. Maciek Romanowicz (Stanford), 7-6 (5), 7-5
No. 5 – JT Sundling (TCU) def. Robert Stineman (Stanford), 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4
No. 6 – Trey Strobel (Stanford) def. Rodolfo Bustamante (TCU), 6-4, 7-5
DOUBLES
No. 1 – Nick Chappell/Will Stein (TCU) def. John Morrissey/Matt Kandath (Stanford), 8-4
No. 2 – Max Stevens/JT Sundling (TCU) def. #57 Jamin Ball/Trey Strobel (Stanford), 8-4
No. 3 – Maciek Romanowicz/Robert Stineman (Stanford) def. Arnau Dachs/Orlando Superlano (TCU), 8-4
MATCH NOTES
TCU 5-2; National ranking #68
Stanford 3-2; National ranking #19
Order of finish: Singles (3,6,2,4,1,5); Doubles (2,1,3)