TCU
#12 Northwestern
Horned Frogs Pull Off 4-3 Win
3/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 22, 2016
FORT WORTH, Texas - Forced to play indoors because of high winds, the No. 3 TCU men's tennis team used a three-set victory from its captain Trevor Johnson to seal a 4-3 win over No. 12 Northwestern on Tuesday afternoon at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.
After leading 3-0 in the match, the Wildcats (14-2) stormed back to take three straight singles matches with Johnson the only competitor left for the Horned Frogs (14-2) as multiple winning streaks were on the line. The sophomore captured the first set, 6-4, but Northwestern's Ben Vandixhorn came back to take the second set 6-3. Tied 2-2 in the final set, Johnson did not falter and won four straight games to take the match and secure TCU's ninth straight victory and 22nd consecutive home win.
TCU and Northwestern split courts one and three to open doubles action, with court two headed into a tiebreak to decide the doubles point. Down 4-1 in the tiebreaker, Guillermo Nuñez and Johnson won six of the next seven points to come back and steal the match and get the doubles point for TCU.
The momentum carried into singles action as Cameron Norrie got his 11th victory of the season over a ranked foe with a 6-2, 6-3 over No. 42 Sam Shropshire for point No. 2, while Eduardo Nava followed moments later by defeating Alp Horoz, 6-1, 6-3, to put TCU up 3-0. The next three matches would go Northwestern's way until Johnson clinched the victory on the final court for TCU.
Quotes of the Match
Head Coach David Roditi
"This is obviously a great win for our guys. We showed a lot of resilience having to go indoors on such a beautiful day because of the prediction of wind. Our rules need to be adjusted, but credit to our guys and we should probably get credit as this being an away match. To be able to beat this Northwestern team on indoor courts that has won 14 of the last 15 matches is a great win for our guys.
"From the very beginning, you could tell that Cameron Norrie was ready to play and you could tell that Eduardo was ready to play. Alex Rybakov got off to a great start and he was looking good but that was a tough match. Guillermo (Nuñez) also had a tough match at the No. 3 spot. We knew that it was going to be tough and if you want to beat (Strong) Kirchheimer, you better be ready to compete and we fell a little short there.
"You beat a team like this in these conditions and you are happy, but there are just so many things that we could have done better today. I feel like we got away with one. The highlight of the day was obviously Trevor (Johnson) who clutches the doubles and then comes back in singles after having to wait and wins a three-set match with everybody watching. I was so happy for him. He works so hard and he deserves all of the success he gets. I am pleased, but parts of our team got exposed today and we need to do something about that.
"Now we get to prepare for Texas A&M. That is going to be a tough match on Monday. They are doing very well and we played them twice last year, so I am sure they remember that. It is basically their same team from last year, so it will be a tough match."
Match Results
Northwestern vs TCU
Mar 22, 2016 at Fort Worth, Texas
(Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center)
#3 TCU 4, #12 Northwestern 3
Singles competition
1. #13 Konrad Zieba (NW) def. #15 Alex Rybakov (TCU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
2. #3 Cameron Norrie (TCU) def. #42 Sam Shropshire (NW) 6-2, 6-3
3. #97 Strong Kirchheimer (NW) def. #54 Guillermo NuÒez (TCU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
4. Fedor Baev (NW) def. Jerry Lopez (TCU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
5. #103 Eduardo Nava (TCU) def. Alp Horoz (NW) 6-1, 6-3
6. Trevor Johnson (TCU) def. Ben Vandixhorn (NW) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Fedor Baev/Strong Kirchheimer (NW) def. #67 Hudson Blake/Reese Stalder (TCU) 6-4
2. Trevor Johnson/Guillermo Nuñez (TCU) def. Konrad Zieba/Sam Shropshire (NW) 7-6 (7-5)
3. Cameron Norrie/Jerry Lopez (TCU) def. Alp Horoz/Mihir Kumar (NW) 6-4
Match Notes:
Northwestern 14-2; National ranking #12
TCU 14-2; National ranking #3
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,5,3,4,1,6)
A-175
Up Next
TCU will take the rest of the week off before traveling to College Station, Texas to take on No. 7 Texas A&M on Monday, March 28 at 6 p.m., at the Mitchell Tennis Center.
Players Mentioned
