FLUSHING, N.Y. – In a thrilling back-and-forth contest inside the Queens College Indoor Tennis Bubble, the Queens College men's tennis team withstood a late rally from division I Hofstra University Pride to open their 2025 season on a winning note.
Playing against a quality opponent in the Pride who were playing a man down, the Knights would earn the double points at #1 doubles as the pair of junior
Lucas Foix Sotos (Javea, Spain) and rookie
Samuel Linck (Haarlem, Netherlands) put Queens up 2-0 heading into singles play.
As the Pride rallied back to tie the match sophomore
Loup Alleno (Paris, France) would rally back from a first set down to clinch the match at #3 singles as the Knights earned a 4-3 victory.
For the first time since the 2018 season head coach
Somadi Druker and the Knights have opened the season on a winning note since they defeated Saint Peter's University on February 4, 2018, to the final score of 6-3.
DOUBLES PLAY
With the Pride down a man, Queens needed only one doubles match to clinch a point to go into singles play up 2-0.
Both doubles matches would see the Knights and the Pride trade points before the #1 duo of Foix Sotos and Linck earned a 7-5 victory over Matthew Garcia and Vincent Turina to put Queens up 1-0.
The Knights #2 doubles pair of junior
Alexis Martin-Gibiard (Saint-Remy-de-Provence, France) and freshman
Adam Laur (Boulogne Billancourt, France) fell in a tough tiebreaker to the score of 7-6
(7-5) against Josh Reynolds and Enaut Garcia-Beitia.
SINGLES PLAY
With Queens leading 2-0, the Pride would cut the home side advantage down as Laur fell at #4 singles against Turina to the score of 1-6, 6-7
(5-7).
Linck at #5 singles would cap off an excellent debut with an undefeated day as he dispatched Kaita Odani to the score of 6-3, 6-3 as Queens took a 3-1 lead.
The Pride would go on to tie the match at 3-3 as Foix Sotos fell at #1 singles against Reynolds to the score of 4-6, 6-7
(7-9), while sophomore
Tim Andersson (Linkoping, Sweden) fell short in a three-set battle at #2 singles against Garcia to the score of 4-6, 7-5, 3-6 as the visitors came back to tie the match.
Down to the final match at #3 singles between Alleno and Garcia-Beitia, Alleno dropped the first set to the score of 3-6 before bouncing back and earning a 6-3 second set victory.
The victory for Alleno would come in a thrilling tiebreaker fashion as the French native took over with a convincing 7-6 (
7-1) tiebreaker victory and help Queens start their season on a winning note.
NEXT MATCH
Druker and the Knights will use the week to prepare for their second Division I opponent of the year on Friday, Feb. 14 as they welcome the Long Island University Sharks to town. The first serve is set for 1:00 p.m.
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