TCU Tennis Loses Regular Season Finale

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FORT WORTH – TCU hung tough with No. 67 New Mexico on Saturday, but ultimately fell 4-3 in the regular season finale at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.

With TCU trailing 3-2, freshman Nick Chappell tied the match after coming back from dropping the first set to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 and knot the team score at 3. All eyes turned toward the action at No. 3 singles, which was the only match still being played.

JT Sundling won the first set, 6-4, at No. 3, but fell 6-3 in the second set to New Mexico’s Phil Anderson. Sundling picked up some momentum early in the third set, but was unable to finish off Anderson, who picked up a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 decision to give the Lobos a 4-3 win.

The Horned Frogs fell to 8-14 and 2-3 in the Mountain West with the defeat. New Mexico improved its record to 17-7, 3-2. TCU earned the No. 4 seed in the Mountain West Men’s Tennis Championship, which begins April 27 in San Diego.

New Mexico won all three doubles matches to open the match, but not without a fight from the Frogs. Daniel Sanchez and Max Stevens gave No. 56-ranked Anderson and Jadon Phillips all they could handle before falling 8-6. At No. 2 doubles, Chappell and Will Stein fell in a tiebreaker, 9-8 (7).

Facundo Lugones tied the score at 1 when singles began with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Ben Dunbar at No. 2 singles. Sanchez gave TCU a brief lead in the match when he picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win of his own over Conor Berg at No. 4 singles. It was the final home match for Sanchez, one of TCU’s two seniors.

Prior to the match, Sanchez and fellow senior Paul Chappell were honored in their final home match as members of the TCU squad.

The Frogs return to action April 27 in the first round of the Mountain West Men’s Tennis Championship. TCU will face UNLV, the tournament’s No. 5 seed, in the opening round.