Jacksonville Breaks Women’s Singles Drought and Hands Challenge Team Fifth Straight Loss
INTENNSE Tennis
2 MINS | Published on 08/9/25
ATLANTA, GA — August 10, 2025 - Heading into Saturday’s Dual, the storyline was clear. One team’s streak had to end. The Challenge Team entered winless in its last five Duals and turned to former Junior US Open Champion Samantha Crawford to lead the charge. Across the net, Team Jacksonville was still searching for its first victory in Women’s Singles this season.
Jacksonville wasted no time asserting control. In Men’s Singles, Sam Nicholson delivered a commanding performance, helping his squad jump out to a 58 to 32 lead through the first two Bolts. Even the first INTENNSE penalty box moment, when a stray ball from Nicholson struck Crawford in the head, could not slow the momentum. The Challenge Team responded in Bolt three, taking their first and only win of the night 29 to 19, but Jacksonville still claimed Men’s Singles overall, 77 to 59.
“I just looked down the other end and I saw guys who really had not spent much time on the court, so I knew I just have to play heavy, go for big margins, and play the percentages,” Nicholson said. “My serve was working a bit better today. You make more serves, you can go for more first serves and get more free points, and the lead increases from there. But yeah, I am just grateful to win another one and look forward to tomorrow.”
In Women’s Singles, Jacksonville reversed its season-long struggles. Sofia Johnson opened with a composed, aggressive effort before Annabelle Thomas followed with sharper serving and consistency. The pair won all three Bolts by double digits, taking the victory 67 to 54 and extending Jacksonville’s lead in the Dual.
For the Challenge Team, Khrystyna Vozniak fought to keep her side in contention. “It was really good to be back,” Vozniak said. “I have a little bit more confidence with all of my shots after playing a few tournaments, so it has been honestly very enjoyable today.”
Crawford praised the format and her squad’s effort despite the loss. “It is such an exciting format. It is so fun to be on court, I am sure, for the fans too,” Crawford said. “So fast paced. You have to make decisions so quickly. I think the other team did a really good job. They stayed steady at the beginning. We had a few that had never played in this format before, and it is tough to adapt to, for sure.”
The Mixed Doubles segment sealed the outcome. Martin Gutierrez served with precision, racking up plus twos and setting up Max Benson for clean putaways as Jacksonville again swept all three Bolts by double digits, winning 92 to 56.
Jacksonville head coach Claudio Pistolesi emphasized his squad’s mentality. “Courage and joy, you have to play with courage here because with the two-point rule, you have to have courage, and the one who makes more two-pointers wins,” Pistolesi said. “It does not make any sense to be conservative. We have to take action and be a united team. We allow ourselves to dream, and if some other team deserves more than us, we will shake their hand, but we do not take anything for granted.”
When the last point was played, Jacksonville had won six consecutive Bolts and flexed their strength with a 236 to 169 victory.
Today: Team Tampa hosts Team Jacksonville at 2 PM ET with prize money at stake.
