STARKVILLE, Miss. – Santa Clara men's tennis defeated Alabama, 4-2, in the third place match at the ITA Kickoff Weekend tournament on Saturday morning. The Broncos earned the doubles point including another win from Luca Bluett and John Kim over a nationally ranked opponent and took three singles matches to claim the team victory. Valentin Faure had a hand in both the doubles and the match clinchers.
The Broncos had a quick turnaround and were back on the courts at 6 a.m. PT after playing the night before against the seventh-ranked Mississippi State to open play in a tournament where the schedule was moved up by a day due to inclement weather.
Bluett and Kim improved to 9-4 on the season including 3-0 in dual matches with two of those victories coming against nationally ranked foes. They defeated No. 2 ranked Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez of Mississippi State on Friday.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Faure clinched the team win for Santa Clara (3-1) beating Rohan Hazratwala 6-3, 7-5 on court five. Moments earlier, Lukas Maskow put the Broncos up 3-2 on the team scoreboard when he downed Carlos Gimenez 7-5, 6-0 on court four.
- Just as they did against Mississippi State a day earlier, SCU was able to secure the doubles point. After the Broncos dropped the first doubles match, Bluett and Kim beat No. 12 Jacob Olar and Andrii Zimnokh, 6-2, to even things at one match apiece. Faure and Ferran Redza beat Hazratwala and Gray Voelzke, 6-2, on court three to secure the doubles point.
- Alabama (2-2) knotted the match at 1-all when No. 27 Matic Kriznik defeated Luca Lemaitre 6-1, 6-0 on court two.
- The Broncos and the Tide split the next two singles matches before Maskow put up the Broncos for good.
RESULTS:
Santa Clara 4, Alabama 2
1/24/2026 at Starkville, Miss. (Rula Tennis Pavilion)
Singles competition
1. Andrii Zimnokh (ALA) vs. Alexander W Eriksson (SCUMTEN) 6-2, 4-5, unfinished
2. #27 Matic Kriznik (ALA) def. Luca Lemaitre (SCUMTEN) 6-1, 6-0
3. Vit Kalina (ALA) def. John Kim (SCUMTEN) 6-2, 6-4
4. Lukas Maskow (SCUMTEN) def. Carlos Gimenez (ALA) 7-5, 6-0
5. Valentin Faure (SCUMTEN) def. Rohan Hazratwala (ALA) 6-3, 7-5
6. Luca Bluett (SCUMTEN) def. Brendan Loh (ALA) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Luca Bluett/John Kim (SCUMTEN) def. #12 Jacob Olar/Andrii Zimnokh (ALA) 6-2
2. #66 Vit Kalina/Matic Kriznik (ALA) def. Tiago Boschmans/Luca Lemaitre (SCUMTEN) 6-1
3. Valentin Faure/Ferran Redza (SCUMTEN) def. Rohan Hazratwala/Gray Voelzke (ALA) 6-2
Match Notes
Santa Clara 3-1
Alabama 2-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,6,3,4,5)
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