#20 ASU’s Season Ends with Loss to #7 TCU

FORT WORTH, Texas - The 20th-ranked Arizona State men's tennis team fell 4-1 to the hosting TCU Horned Frogs Sunday afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas in the second round of the NCAA Championship. ASU's lone point came via the doubles point thanks to Makey Rakotomalala/Tim Ruehl and Max McKennon/Nathan Ponwith.
 
Arizona State took just two sets in singles play, Ruehl and Rakotomalala both going up in their opening frames, but the Frogs bounced back in a big way and canceled any chance of an upset.
 
Senior Nathan Ponwith now prepares for the NCAA Singles Championship that kicks off May 23 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. He'll join ASU women's senior Ilze Hattingh out in the Sunshine State.
 
 
May 9, 2021 at Fort Worth, Texas
(Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center)
#7 TCU 4, #20 Arizona State 1
 
Singles competition
1. #12 Alastair Gray (TCU) def. #84 Nathan Ponwith (ASU) 6-3, 6-2
2. #17 Luc Fomba (TCU) vs. Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) 4-6, 5-4, unfinished
3. #65 Sander Jong (TCU) vs. Tim Ruehl (ASU) 5-7, 2-3, unfinished
4. #110 Jake Fearnley (TCU) def. George Stoupe (ASU) 6-4, 6-3
5. #94 Tomas Jirousek (TCU) def. Max McKennon (ASU) 6-4, retired
6. Tadeas Paroulek (TCU) def. Spencer Brachman (ASU) 6-1, 6-1
 
Doubles competition
1. Makey Rakotomalala/Tim Ruehl (ASU) def. #2 Alastair Gray/Luc Fomba (TCU) 6-3
2. Max McKennon/Nathan Ponwith (ASU) def. Sander Jong/Tadeas Paroulek (TCU) 7-6 (0-6)
3. Bertus Kruger/Jake Fearnley (TCU) def. Christian Lerby/George Stoupe (ASU) 6-2
 
Match Notes:
Arizona State 17-6; National ranking #20
TCU 18-7; National ranking #7
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,6,1,4)
Official: Myron Kruger T-2:29 A-294