FORT WORTH – No. 5 TCU men’s tennis made quick work of Rice in the first round of ITA Kickoff Weekend on Saturday inside the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.
 
The Horned Frogs blanked the Owls 4-0, setting up a tilt with Tulsa on Sunday for the right to advance to the ITA Indoor National Championships.
 
Playing as regional host for the ninth straight year, TCU swept the top-two doubles flights before picking up straight set singles wins on courts one, three and four. TCU (2-0) dropped just one set in the dual. The match was contested as clinch-clinch, therefore rendering the bottom-two singles courts unfinished.
 
TCU moved to 43-13 overall record inside the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center since head coach David Roditi took the reins in 2010. TCU also improved to 26-4 in home indoor matches since 2018. 
 
Doubles Rundown
 
Jake Fearnley and Jack Pinnington looked dominant in their third match as partners. They took down Rice’s Trinity Grear and Kabeer Kapasi by a score of 6-1 in the No. 2 post to procure TCU’s first doubles win.
 
No. 7 Sebastian Gorzny and Pedro Vives clinched the doubles point for the Horned Frogs when with a 6-4 defeat of Yasha Zemel, 6-4. 
 
Gorzny and Vives improved to 30-10 as partners.
 
Doubles Results 

1. No. 7 Sebastian Gorzny / Pedro Vives (TCU) def. Santiago Navarro / Yasha Zemel (Rice): 6-4
2. Jake Fearnley and Jack Pinnington (TCU) def. Trinity Grear and Kabeer Kapasi (Rice): 6-1
3. No.15 Duncan Chan and Lui Maxted (TCU) vs. Arthus de la Bassetiere and Eduardo Morias (Rice): 2-5, unfinished

 
Order of finish: 2, 1
 
Singles Rundown
 
The top of the TCU’s singles lineup flexed its muscle, winning three singles points to clinch the match. 
 
Jake Fearnley started off strong, disposing Zemel, 6-1, 6-4, in the top flight to put TCU halfway to the clinch.
 
Lui Maxted was surgical in his takedown of Sendogan. Playing No. 4 singles for the first time since the 2023 edition of ITA Kickoff Weekend, The 64^th-ranked Maxted earned a double break in a 6-3 set one triumph. He finished the match with a 6-0 bagel.
 
No. 14 Pedro Vives secured the match-clincher, defeating Arthus de las Bassetiere in straight sets; 6-2, 7-5.
 
Singles Results

1. Jake Fearnley (TCU) def. Yasha Zemel (Rice): 6-1, 6-4
2. No. 3 Jack Pinnington (TCU) vs. Trinity Grear (Rice): 6-2, 3-6, 2-1, unfinished
3. No. 14 Pedro Vives (TCU) def. Arthus de la Bassetiere (Rice): 6-2, 7-5
4. No. 64 Lui Maxted (TCU) def.  Santiago Navarro (Rice): 6-3, 6-0
5. Tomas Jirousek (TCU) vs. Santiago Navarro (Rice): 0-3, unfinished 
6. Duncan Chan (TCU) vs. Kabeer Kapasi (Rice): 2-0, unfinished 

 
Order of finish: 1, 4, 3