At the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas, from November 19th to 24th, 2024, TCU's Pedro Vives and Lui Maxted made significant strides. In doubles, they coasted to a 6-0, 6-3 round of 16 victory over Charlotte's Matias Iturbe and Vasco Prata on Thursday. This achievement added to their All-American status. NCAA Championships singles and doubles quarterfinalists now earn this accolade as part of the fall season pivot. Vives and Maxted are only the second and third Horned Frogs to reach the quarterfinals in both singles and doubles in the same season, joining Trace Fielding (2001). They are also two of eight players in program history to receive All-American honors in both tennis types. Jake Fearnley and Luc Fomba are the recent alumni to do so in 2022 and 2023.Focus on Doubles and Next Opponent
Seeded 5-8, Vives and Maxted now turn their attention to a Friday afternoon dual against No. 3 seed Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez of Mississippi State for a spot in the semifinals. The Bulldog duo holds the preseason ITA No. 1 doubles ranking. This is a crucial match for them as they aim to continue their successful run.Doubles Journey and Past Victories
They had earlier defeated DK Suresh and Ionnis Xilas of Wake Forest in the round of 32 with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (3), [10-3]. This shows their consistency and ability to perform well in tough matches. Their journey in doubles has been remarkable, and they are looking to build on this success.Singles Success and Upcoming Match
Maxted also reached the final eight in singles. He defeated No. 103 Maxi Homberg of Pepperdine 6-2, 7-5 to start the day. This victory is significant as it makes him one of only five players in program history to reach the singles quarterfinals at the NCAA Championships. Only Cameron Norrie and most recently Alex Rybakov in 2019 have achieved this in TCU's Big 12 era. Maxted will face No. 2 Michael Zheng of Columbia in Friday's quarterfinals. It will be TCU's third tilt this fall against the top U.S. collegian. Zheng edged Maxted in a competitive 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3) battle on Nov. 1 at the LSU Invitational. However, Vives booked his ticket to the ITA All-American Championships with a three-set victory over Zheng on Sept. 27.Singles and Doubles Pursuit
Maxted is one of only two players still alive in both singles and doubles alongside Texas' Timo Legut. Vives is the 10th three-time American in school history. He bowed out in the round of 16 to preseason ITA No. 1 Ozan Baris of Michigan State, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 2-6. But their performances so far have been outstanding and have put TCU on the map in the NCAA Championships.
