College Tennis News - No. 24 Cal Completes Comeback Against TCU, 4-3

FORT WORTH, Texas - With the team result riding on his court-five singles match, California freshman Mads Engsted took TCU senior JT Sundling to three sets before prevailing, 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-5, and completing a 4-3 comeback victory over the Horned Frogs on Sunday at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. Cal won the doubles point but trailed, 3-1, before winning the last three singles matches.

The Bears improved their record to 8-6 after the nonconference victory, while TCU fell to 12-5.

"This was the third match in a row that came down to the final set of the last match," Cal head coach Peter Wright said. "Today, Mads Engsted played one of his best team matches of the year. TCU is a strong team, and beating them at their place is never easy. Once again our doubles play was key for us today."

The 45th-ranked team of Engsted and junior Ben McLachlan won the first match of the day, beating Sundling and Max Stevens, 8-5, on court two, before Cal's 33rd-ranked duo of junior Campbell Johnson and senior Christoffer Konigsfeldt defeated No. 64 Nick Chappell/Will Stein, 8-6, on court one to secure the doubles point.

In singles, Cal dropped the first three matches to trail, 3-1, as freshman Wyatt Houghton dropped his court-six match to Rodolfo Bustamante, 6-3, 6-2, No. 63 Konigsfeldt lost to Arnau Dachs, 6-3, 6-0, on court two and No. 57 McLachlan fell to Chappell, 6-0, 6-3, on court one.

The Bears began the comeback on court four, on which sophomore Gregory Bayane topped Facundo Lugones, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3, to make the team score 3-2. Johnson, ranked 47th in singles, then beat Orlando Superlano, 7-6(5), 6-4, on court three to tie the proceedings at 3-3 and set up Engsted for the chance to decide the match.

Cal next plays No. 29 Baylor on Tuesday, March 26, in Waco, Texas.

No. 24 California 4, No. 36 TCU 3
March 24, 2013, in Fort Worth, Texas
Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center

Doubles
1: No. 33 Johnson/Konigsfeldt (California) def. No. 64 Chappell/Stein (TCU) - 8-6
2: No. 45 Engsted/B. McLachlan (California) def. Stevens/Sundling (TCU) - 8-5
3: Dachs/Superlano (TCU) vs. Bayane/Melton (California) - 7-5/Abandoned (Cal wins the doubles point)

Order of Finish: 2, 1.

Singles
1: Nick Chappell (TCU) def. No. 57 Ben McLachlan (California) - 6-0, 6-3
2: Arnau Dachs (TCU) def. No. 63 Christoffer Konigsfeldt (California) - 6-3, 6-0
3: No. 47 Campbell Johnson (California) def. Orlando Superlano (TCU) - 7-6(5), 6-4
4: Gregory Bayane (California) def. Facundo Lugones (TCU) - 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
5: Mads Engsted (California) def. JT Sundling (TCU) - 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-5
6: Rodolfo Bustamante (TCU) def. Wyatt Houghton (California) - 6-3, 6-2

Order of Finish: 6, 2, 1, 4, 3, 5.