Ohio State
#2 TCU
Buckeyes are National Champs, Again!
2/19/2024 5:45:00 PM | Men's Tennis
MANHATTAN, N.Y. – No. 1 Ohio State took the long way again, but the Buckeyes showed a lot of grit to comeback and beat No. 2 TCU 4-3 Monday afternoon to win the ITA National Indoor Team Championship.
TCU won the doubles point and had the momentum early in singles. But the Buckeyes stuck with it and got a three-set win from sophomore Alexander Bernard to pull even at 3-3 and fifth-year senior Robert Cash provided the clinching point with his own three-set victory.
This was the third indoor national title for the program as well as for director of tennis Ty Tucker. It was their seventh appearance in the finals as they also won the title in 2014 and 2019.
Ohio State and TCU have turned into a bit of a rivalry of late. The teams met in the semifinals of last year’s NCAA Tournament in Orlando in May. The Buckeyes won that match 4-0. TCU got the best of the Buckeyes in the national indoors in 2022. Monday was just the sixth all-time meeting, and the series is tied at 3-3.
TCU, the two-time defending indoor champions, took a tightly contested doubles point. Cash and Bernard were stellar once again, winning 6-2 on court three but TCU would gather late breaks on courts 1 and 2 and would win both of those matches to take the point. Cash and Bernard went 2-1 this weekend in doubles.
In singles, TCU got the first win as Jake Fearnley was on, downing Cannon Kingsley 6-1, 6-0. The Buckeyes responded with wins from Jack Anthrop and JJ Tracy. Anthrop won 7-5, 6-2 on court four and Tracy followed closely after with a 6-4, 6-4 win on court three. Tracy was 4-0 in singles play this weekend.
Jack Pennington defeated Justin Boulais on court two, 6-4, 6-4 to give the Horned Frogs a 3-2 lead. That left the match in the hands of Cash and Bernard on courts five and six, which were on opposite ends of the building. Both matches would go to a deciding third set.
Cash got the first break in his match and held for a 3-1 lead. Bernard got back on serve after losing the first two games. He then broke and held for a 6-3 victory. That evened the team match and sent everyone to the other end of the building. Cash battled to hold serve and hold his break advantage and eventually won 6-3.
#1 Ohio State 4, #2 TCU 3
Singles
1. #62 Jake Fearnley (TCU) def. #67 Cannon Kingsley (OSU) 6-1, 6-0
2. #4 Jack Pinnington (TCU) def. #25 Justin Boulais (OSU) 6-4, 6-4
3. #7 JJ Tracy (OSU) def. #20 Pedro Vives (TCU) 6-4, 6-4
4. #13 Jack Anthrop (OSU) def. #39 Sebastian Gorzny (TCU) 7-5, 6-2
5. Robert Cash (OSU) def. #59 Lui Maxted (TCU) 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-3
6. #86 Alexander Bernard (OSU) def. Tomas Jirousek (TCU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Doubles
1. #8 Sebastian Gorzny/Pedro Vives (TCU) def. Andrew Lutschaunig/Justin Boulais (OSU) 6-3
2. Jack Pinnington/Jake Fearnley (TCU) def. Cannon Kingsley/JJ Tracy (OSU) 6-4
3. Alexander Bernard/Robert Cash (OSU) def. #20 Duncan Chan/Lui Maxted (TCU) 6-2
Match Notes:
TCU 9-1; National ranking #2
Ohio State 13-0; National ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,4,3,2,6,5)
ITA National Team Indoor Championship -- Championship Match
T-3:40
#GoBucks
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
1,4,3,2,6,5
