ATLANTA, GA — July 12, 2025 - Superstar Beyoncé was in town. MLB All-Star Weekend was underway. But all the buzz was on INTENNSE™, as a sold-out crowd packed the INTENNSE Arena, eager to witness a new brand of tennis where the lights shine bright, the action never stops, and every point crackles with energy. 

While the music and crowds swirled elsewhere, the real spotlight was courtside, where Team Atlanta arrived determined to keep their hot streak burning, and they delivered. Atlanta defeated host Team Tampa 217-187 to claim their third straight Dual and improve to 3-1 on the season, leaving Tampa still searching for their first victory at 0-3.

Atlanta Sets the Tone Early

Head Coach Marcelo Ferreira rolled out an unchanged roster featuring Trent Bryde, Raul Garcia, Kevin King, Ava Hrastar, Tanya Sasnouskaya, and Michaela Gordon. After opening the season with two losses in Week One, Atlanta found its groove in Week Two with victories over Jacksonville (200-197) and Tampa (226-202).

Men’s Singles opened the night, where Kevin King took command. Facing Karanpal (KP) Pannu, making his INTENNSE debut for Team Tampa, King unleashed a blend of blistering serves and net mastery to secure a 73-60 win for Atlanta.

“I was very pleased with the way the boys started,” said Ferreira. “Tampa was a little bit of a different team than we beat two weeks ago with KP on the men’s side and Seone Mendez, two phenomenal players. I didn’t really know what to expect. Just so happy with the way Kevin started. He kind of set the tone. With this format, when you’re able to take a little bit of a lead in the first bolt, it gives all the players the feeling that the pressure is off.”

Kevin King added, “Marcelo brought a lot of energy. He got us fired up, and we just really wanted to come out and commit to our plan. KP is a great player. He brought a different style out there, but we wanted to make him play and put the pressure on because it’s tough your first time in this format.”

Tampa Responds in Women’s Singles

Despite the early deficit, Team Tampa mounted a thrilling counterattack in Women’s Singles. Seone Mendez staged a dramatic comeback in the third bolt, clawing back crucial points, while Kate Sharabura held steady alongside her. Tampa edged Atlanta 62-61 in the Women’s Singles, swinging the overall score to a narrow 134-122 lead for Team Tampa heading into Doubles.

Ferreira admitted some frustration with how the Women’s Singles slipped away: “I was a little bit disappointed with the way we played towards the end. When you’ve got the lead and the clock is running, I wanted points to go a little bit longer to burn the time. We panicked a little bit as if we were losing. It’s a lesson we learned. Letting up in the Women’s Singles could have cost us the Match.”

On the Tampa side, Head Coach Yelena Labat reflected on the Dual: “We had a new player that pretty much didn’t know the format, so he got a little bit lost out there,” she said about KP Pannu’s debut. “The girls did pretty good. Seone came through, but the others were a little tight because of starting off the Men’s side being down. As soon as you’re down by 10 or 14 points, it stresses the women a bit. But we’ll regroup. We have to work on Doubles for sure. Atlanta has been practicing a lot together, and that shows.”

KP’s Debut in the Spotlight

Though Tampa fell short, the night marked a new chapter for KP Pannu, who stepped onto the INTENNSE stage for the first time.

“It was definitely a new experience for me,” Pannu said. “It was very exciting and fun, and I think that tomorrow will be better for me personally, having this under my belt and being more used to it. It’s such a great atmosphere. I had family and friends out here, and this is just unique in the tennis sphere. INTENNSE is doing something really special, and I think it’s just going to continue to grow and grow.”

Atlanta Seals It in Doubles

With Tampa leading overall by 12 points heading into the final segment, Atlanta needed a surge in Doubles, and they delivered. Kevin King and Ava Hrastar partnered to produce an 83-65 triumph that flipped the Dual back decisively in Atlanta’s favor.

“I love the team aspect of doubles, especially with INTENNSE,” said King. “The constant nonstop action is awesome. You’re all over the place, and I just love that.”

Hrastar added, “I think just bringing the energy the whole time was key. Marcelo always preaches that. We’ve been doing a lot of team dinners and practices, so we’re becoming friends on and off the court. That’s important when we’re competing because we all have each other’s backs.”

Their efforts secured the 217-187 final victory for Atlanta, closing out another high-octane night of INTENNSE tennis.

Looking Ahead

With the win, Team Atlanta improves to 3-1 on the season, and Team Tampa falls to 0-3 and faces a quick turnaround. They’ll return to INTENNSE Arena tomorrow at 2 PM against Jacksonville, seeking revenge and that elusive first win.

Energy, Resilience, and a Jacksonville Surge: The Challenge Dual Showdown

The Dual between the Challenge Team and Team Jacksonville delivered thrilling momentum shifts and high-energy rallies. Team Jacksonville ultimately secured a 217 to 169 victory, but the road to that result was filled with dramatic twists.

Challenge Team Comes Out Swinging

From the start, the Challenge Team signaled they were ready to compete. J.Y. Aubone said, “A huge amount of credit goes to Jonathan Stokke. He has been commentating, so he has been preparing for this. He has been studying it, so he was very ready, and he got his team ready to go.”

The Challenge Team leaned on the experience of Naoto Tomizawa and Danijal Muminovic. “They were able to get off to a great start because they had a coach who was prepared and two players that already took part in this format,” Aubone said.

Sam Nicholson’s Comeback Changes Everything

In Men’s Singles, the Challenge Team executed their strategy nearly to perfection, keeping points short and controlling the clock. However, Sam Nicholson of Team Jacksonville completely changed the Match with a fierce comeback.

Nicholson struggled early, as Aubone explained. “Sam Nicholson had his first real slow start, but huge credit to him to get himself back together. He was not affected by the earliest substitution he has had. I think it is one of the first times, if not the first, he has been substituted out in the first ten minutes. And he actually handled that extremely well, very maturely, and picked up his level.”

Nicholson admitted it was a new situation for him. “It was the first time I had ever been subbed out early,” he said. “But I just thought, if the coach wants to try something different, I will trust it. I caught my breath and came back stronger. If I can run up mountains feeling sick for twenty-seven minutes, I can handle this.”

Coach Claudio Pistolesi praised Nicholson’s resilience. “We have mutual trust,” Pistolesi said. “I pulled Sam out to give him time to reset. And he climbed the distance, came back in, and took the lead. That is the best effort because he had never been down like that before.”

Jacksonville edged the Men’s Singles 60 to 56, gaining a narrow four-point lead going into the Women’s Singles.

Jacksonville Women Flip the Momentum

Momentum firmly swung Jacksonville’s way when the women stepped on court. Aubone noted, “Where things started to really show with the experience side of things is when the women came in. Two of the three players on the Challenge Team did not have experience playing in the league. So you saw them struggle a little bit with the form and the rules.”

Annabelle Thomas displayed fierce aggression, as Aubone described. “Annabelle, with her swinging volleys coming forward, aggressive forehands, continued to make that play.” Meanwhile, Sofia Johnson impressed in her first appearance. “Even though it was her first time playing, she has been practicing with the team, so she was ready. I thought for a rookie, she did an incredible job. Very solid performance for Sofia,” Aubone added.

Johnson admitted the fast pace initially caught her off guard. “The format is so fast-paced, it kind of threw me off at first,” she said. “But Coach Claudio helped me know where to serve and how much time I had. Once I warmed up, my power really helped. I am glad with how we played.”

Pistolesi was proud of his team’s depth. “Sofia is very powerful, and for her first time, she handled it well. Annabelle is on fire. She knows exactly what is going on now,” he said.

Team Jacksonville won the Women’s Singles 70 to 57, stretching their cumulative lead to 130 to 113 and putting significant pressure on the Challenge Team heading into Doubles.

Doubles Domination Seals the Win

Aubone highlighted Doubles as the defining moment of the Dual. “Jacksonville in the doubles, that is where they shine. Martin Gutierrez and Maxwell Benson are so good together. They fly around the net. They pick up plus twos. And even though they were giving up some back, they were too good overall. The Challenge Team eventually put Kellen Simmons in, who brought great energy, and you thought that was the spark they needed, but  Martin and Max are just so good in doubles together.”

Martin Gutierrez credited the team atmosphere for their dominance. “It is a team league, and that makes it so much more fun,” Gutierrez said. “We practice hard and bring energy. When you look over and see your teammates cheering you on, it lifts you, even if you are struggling.”

Jacksonville’s aggressive Doubles play proved unstoppable, as they took the Doubles 87 to 56 and extended their overall advantage.

Spotlight Moments and Growing Pains for the Challenge Team

The Challenge Team, though determined, faced increasing scoreboard pressure. Aubone described, “The scoreboard pressure and the inexperience of the players.  Alessandra Crump tried to help, but Cherysh Henry came in and just did not play as well as she did in the Challenge Series. Challenge Series is one thing. Then you play under the lights, you play on TV, fans here, and it is just different.”

By the end of Mixed Doubles, Jacksonville had secured the Dual with a total score of 217 to 169. Yet for Pistolesi, the focus remained on unity and effort. “I never ask my players to win,” he said. “I ask them to give their best and behave like a team. If we do that, even losing can feel like a win.”

Aubone summed up the key to Jacksonville’s victory. “Huge credit to the Challenge Team to get off to the start they did. But Sam Nicholson again just gave a great performance after his worst start. Annabelle Thomas might be the MVP frontrunner right now on the female side, and when you have Sam as the MVP frontrunner for the men and then Annabelle on the same team, Claudio can just let them play and have fun watching.”

While the Challenge Team showed flashes of promise, Jacksonville’s performance underscored why they are quickly becoming the team to beat. Martin Gutierrez put it: “We are going to keep our spirit and energy and just do what we do best, which is win.”

Jacksonville’s victory was not just about talent. It was built on resilience, chemistry, and a team determined to rise together under the bright lights.

Today: Team Jacksonville takes on the host, Team Tampa, at 2 PM ET

All Duals will be streamed live on Twitch @INTENNSE and YouTube.

The full schedule is available here: INTENNSE Schedule

Limited tickets are available on INTENNSE.COM/TICKETS