ATLANTA, GA — July 13, 2025 - Superstar Beyoncé may still be in town for another night, but the energy stayed blazing inside INTENNSE™ Arena this afternoon as Team Jacksonville and host Team Tampa clashed in one of the most thrilling Duals of the season.

The drama began in Men’s Singles, where Sam Nicholson of Team Jacksonville faced off against Karanpal “KP” Pannu of Team Tampa in a contest that could have been scripted for a movie. Pannu, in only his second appearance for Tampa, surged ahead and held a narrow lead heading into the final Bolt. Yet with seconds left on the clock and four thousand dollars on the line, Nicholson delivered a daring serve-and-volley winner to snatch the Match for Jacksonville, 72 to 71.

“I was very surprised myself,” said Team Jacksonville Head Coach Claudio Pistolesi. “With less than a minute left and five points behind, it’s almost impossible. But Sam believed. He served five or six times in a row over two hundred kilometers per hour and then finished with a serve-and-volley on the last point. It’s like something you’d only see in the movies.”

Even Nicholson admitted the nerves nearly overwhelmed him. “I was shaking,” he said. “I needed that point. I got lucky with the net cord. You have to say your prayers when that happens because it was very fortunate.”
Despite the heartbreak, Pannu remained optimistic. “It was very exciting and fun. I think it will be better for me personally, having this under my belt,” he said. “This format creates such a great atmosphere. It’s unique in the tennis world.”

With Jacksonville holding a slender lead, Team Tampa looked to turn the tide in Women’s Singles, counting on Seone Mendez’s relentless consistency. Mendez built an early lead with smart drop shots and sharp angles while Team Jacksonville rotated Sofia Johnson and Annabelle Thomas in an attempt to match her rhythm.

Thomas launched a furious comeback to close within a single point. With four thousand dollars riding on the very last point of the Match, the nerves set in, and the one-serve rule struck again as Thomas dumped her serve into the net. This allowed Tampa to seize the Match  71 to 69 and take a razor-thin 142 to 141 overall lead heading into Doubles.

Credit to Seone,” said Annabelle Thomas. “She stayed in pretty much the whole time, and that’s not easy. I’m really happy with how I played, how Sofia played, and just the team in general. We were right there.”

Head Coach Yelena Labat praised her team’s effort while acknowledging their ongoing challenge. “This girl stepped up,” Labat said. “Seone was incredible. But we still have to figure out Doubles. My players are from everywhere, so we don’t get to practice Doubles together as much. And this format is completely different. We have to learn to go after that first serve and attack the return, like the other teams do.”

With the Dual hanging by a single point, Team Jacksonville stormed into Doubles determined to reclaim control. Maxwell Benson and Martin Gutierrez surged across the court with explosive energy, while Sofia Johnson and Annabelle Thomas unleashed blistering returns and flawless teamwork. Their relentless attack overwhelmed Tampa, resulting in a dominant 92 to 67 victory in Doubles that swung the overall Dual decisively in Jacksonville’s favor, 233 to 209. 

“Whenever I can string a couple of points together, that’s my chance to get loud and explosive,” said Maxwell Benson. 

“The energy becomes contagious.” Martin Gutierrez added, “Put me on court with a partner, and I’m having fun. Especially with such a great team and such great energy.”

Coach Claudio Pistolesi could not hide his pride. “I’m very proud of Maxwell leading the Doubles, and Martin is such a good competitor. With Sofia Johnson and Annabelle Thomas, we have powerful combinations. I knew we could win Doubles, but I didn’t expect to win by over twenty points.”

INTENNSE Analyst J.Y. Aubone summed it up perfectly. “Jacksonville is just too darn good in Doubles. They’ve been practicing together for months, and it shows. But Tampa made real strides today, especially on the men’s side with Karanpal Pannu stepping up. They’ll be dangerous once they piece it all together.”

With the dust settled, Team Jacksonville improves to 3 and 1 on the season, while Team Tampa remains winless at 0 and 4, having dropped both of their Duals this weekend. Yet if this afternoon proved anything, it is that in INTENNSE, no lead is ever safe, and no crowd leaves without a story to tell.

INTENNSE League action resumes July 19th and 20th at the INTENNSE Arena:

SATURDAY
Atlanta vs. Challenge Team — 2 PM ET 
Tampa vs. Jacksonville — 7 PM ET

SUNDAY
Atlanta vs. Jacksonville — 7 PM ET

All Duals will be streamed live on Twitch @INTENNSE and YouTube.
The full schedule is available here: INTENNSE Schedule
Secure your seat today — limited Tickets remain