TCU hangs on to beat UT at home.

Fifth-year senior Jake Fearnley catapulted the Frogs into another tough victory against the No. 10-ranked Texas Longhorns on March 2.

Fearnley battled back against No. 1 Eliot Spizzirri 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in a hypnotizing battle at the Bayard H. Freeman tennis center.

“It was one of the best college matches that I’ve ever been a part of,” Fearnley said. “I’ve played a lot of matches but this is one that I will remember forever.”

The Frogs won the doubles point, putting them up 1-0 against a Texas team that appeared unified and focused.

This is when things started to turn south.

Five out of the six Frogs lost the first set. Sophomore Sebastian Gorzny was the only one who managed to start their single’s match with a win – a 7-6 tiebreaker victory.

Gorzny gave the Frogs their second point in typical “Seb” fashion, winning 7-6, 6-1 in a comfortable, passionate fashion.

The one who was hit the hardest was junior Lui Maxtead, dropping his first set 1-6. His road ahead would be as tall as Mount Everest, but even that, he has climbed before.

Maxtead didn’t let this deficit hurt him, as he stormed back to defeat his opponent 6-3, 6-2 in the second and third sets to score TCU’s third point. 

“I’m ridiculously proud of what Lui Maxtead did against a sixth-year senior,” said head coach David Roditi. “He is one hell of a player, and having him beat someone like that is crucial.”

Sophomore Jack Pinnington, fifth-year Tomas Jirousek and junior Pedro Vives lost their matches, leaving the weight of the world on Fearnley’s shoulders.

Fearnley’s match was nothing short of a true doozy. After losing set one 4-6, Fearnley knew that he needed to win the second match in order to keep TCU’s dream alive. 

The second set was a true nail biter. Going back and forth with Spizzirri, the set chronologically climbed until it was tied 6-6, leading to a tiebreaker. 

The tiebreaker was then tied 6-6. With an amped up crowd behind him, and having every other match already finished before the end of the second set, Fearnley won the next two points, pushing the match into a final set and setting pressure for both players.

The next few games were back and forth again, setting the stage after being tied 4-4 for yet another showdown. With Spizzirri serving, Fearnley was at a disadvantage. But, as previously shown by Maxtead, all disadvantages can be overcome. 

Fearnley took control of the match, winning the ninth game, going up 5-4. With his own serve, he was serving to win.

After a few hypnotizing rallies, Fearnley was up 40-30 on Spizzirri, with one serve left to secure the win for TCU. Fearnley’s serve went across the net, and Spizzirri’s response left the ball on the green clay – it was out of bounds.

“The one thing I was thinking during that last set – I really hope the serve didn’t come back,” Fearnley said.

After Fearnley’s winning point, the rest of the team hopped the chain-linked fence surrounding the court and mobbed him, encompassing Fearnley in a sea of purple with hoops and hollers alike.

“What Jake did against the number one player in the country… it doesn’t get any better than that,” said Roditi.  

As the alma mater played, the packed house of TCU fans threw up their hands in the signature TCU sign and applauded the team for a job well done.

“I’m just so proud of this team,” said Roditi. “Seeing the resilience that this team has is unbelievable to watch.”

The Frogs continue their season at home on Saturday, March 10 against Baylor.