Davis, Calif. — The UC Davis men's tennis team began its 2026 fall schedule with a strong performance Friday on the opening day of the UC Davis Aggie Invitational at the Marya Welch Tennis Center on campus. The Aggies were winners in each of the seven matches they competed in with four doubles teams moving on to semifinal action and four singles players to quarterfinals on Saturday.
Both Aggies' doubles teams participated in the Blue flight. Cyrus Ahmad and Nadaul Cheam opened with an 8-6 victory over Alex Simone and Jacappo Antonelli (Sacramento State) in the round of 16 then knocked off Nevada's Greg Valente and Axel Huysmans 8-5 in the quarters. Ivan Savkin and Aiden Muller had a bye to reach quarterfinals, where they defeated Santa Clara's Mahir Khurana and Alex Bergomi, 8-3.
Three of the Aggies' four Round of 16 single participants were also in the Blue flight, where Ahmad defeated Sacramento State's Freddie Haley (6-1, 6-4), Cheam beat Saint Mary's Frano Sucic (6-7(8), 6-0, 6-1) and Savkin knocked off Simone (6-3, 6-1). Mueller capped the Aggies' perfect day by outlasting Pacific's Niv Zuckerman in three sets (6-4, 2-6, 6-4).
"I was really pleased to see the guys go through today," UC Davis head coach Eric Steidlmayer said. "I especially liked the resolve I saw with Aiden and Nadaul getting three-set wins. Cyrus Ahmad was a joy to have in an Aggie uniform. His energy and juice is contagious. And it's always great to see our senior Ivan Savkin really leading in doubles and playing great in singles. It was a good day for your Aggies."
The semifinals of the double Blue flight will both start Saturday at 9 a.m. with Ahmad/Cheam facing Adi Dagan and Zuckerman of Pacific, while Mueller/Savkin take on Sacramento State's Adryan Ballestero and Doni Gashi. The winners will advance to the Blue flight finals Sunday at 9 a.m. PT.
In Saturday's quarterfinal singles action, Mueller will battle Sacramento State's Nick Bowles in White flight action at 10:15 a.m., while Ahmad (vs. Brendan Loh, Saint Mary's), Cheam (vs. Tiago Boschmans, Santa Clara) and Savkin (vs. Robert McAlpine, Menlo College) all begin Blue flight quarterfinals at 10:30 a.m. Winners will advance to the semifinals with the White flight at 1:30 p.m. and the Blue flight at 1:45 p.m. The dates and times for the finals of both singles flights with Aggies participating in them have yet to be announced.
UC Davis Aggie Invitational Results
Friday, Sept. 25
BLUE FLIGHT DOUBLES
ROUND OF 16
Cyrus Ahmad/Nadaul Cheam (UC Davis) def Alex Simone/Jacappo Antonelli (Sacramento State), 8-6
Brendan Loh/Bastien Maxant (Saint Mary's) def Sebastiano Cressi/Ibrahim Snoussi (Nevada), 8-2
QUARTERFINALS
Doni Gasi/Adrian Ballestero (Sacramento State) def Emmil Pasanen/Zalan Savay (Menlo College), 8-5
Ivan Savkin/Aiden Mueller (UC Davis) def Mahir Khurana/Alex Bergomi (Santa Clara), 8-3
Cyrus Ahmad/Nadaul Cheam (UC Davis) def Greg Valente/Axel Huysmans (Nevada), 8-5
Niv Zuckerman/Adi Dagan (Pacific) def Brendan Loh/Bastien Maxant (Saint Mary's), 8-4
WHITE FLIGHT DOUBLES
QUARTERFINALS
Freddie Healey/Thomas Ranson (Sacramento State) def Devin Stuppin/Frano Sucic (Saint Mary's), 8-3
Hasith Gummuluru/Samuel Bautista (Pacific) def Robin McAlpine/David Espinossa Navarro (Menlo College), 8-6
Henry Ricconi-Brown/Iwan Attye (Menlo College) def Joey Lyon/Sam Simmonds (Saint Mary's), 8-5
CONSOLATION
Sebastiano Cressi/Ibrahim Snoussi (Nevada) def Alexander Simone/Jacoppo Antonelli (Sac State), 8-7(2)
Mahir Khurana/Alex Bergomi (Santa Clara) def Eemil Pasanen/Zalan Savoy (Menlo College), 8-7(5)
BLUE FLIGHT SINGLES
ROUND OF 16
Alex Bergomi (Santa Clara) def Jacopo Antonelli (Sacramento State), 6-4, 6-2
Cyrus Ahmad (UC Davis) def Freddie Healey (Sacramento State), 6-1, 6-4
Nadaul Cheam (UC Davis) def Frano Sucic (St Mary's) 6-7(8), 6-0, 6-1
Tiago Boschmans (Santa Clara) def Axel Huysmans (Nevada), 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-5
Robin McAlpine (Menlo College) def Ibrahim Snooussi (Nevada), 7-6(6), 6-4
Ivan Savkin (UC Davis) def Alexander Simone (Sacramento State), 6-3, 6-1
WHITE FLIGHT SINGLES
ROUND OF 16
Gregoire Valente (NevadA) def Zalan Savay (Menlo College), 6-3, 6-0
Adi Dagan (Pacific) def Sam Simmonds (Saint Mary's), 7-5, 6-3
Doni Gashi (Sacramento State) def Iwan Attye (Menlo College), 6-3, 6-1
Bastien Maxant (Saint Mary's) def Mahir Khurana (Saint Mary's), 7-5, 6-3
Eemil Pasanen (Menlo College) def Nicolas Recoura (Nevada), 6-2, 6-4
Aiden Mueller (UC Davis) def Niv Zuckerman (Pacific), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Nick Bowles (Sacramento State) def Sebastiano Cressi (Nevada), 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
GOLD FLIGHT SINGLES
ROUND OF 16
Thomas Ranson (Sacramento State) def Henry Riccioni-Brown (Menlo College), 6-3, 6-2
QUARTERFINALS
Sebastian Vlahos (Sacramento State) def Samuel Bautista(Pacific), 6-2, 6-3
Joseph Lyon (Saint Mary's) def Hasith Gummuluru (Pacific), 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(6)
Adryan Ballestero (Sacramento State) def David Espinosa Navarro (Menlo College), 6-2, 7-6(4)Z
Thomas Ranson (Sacramento State) def Devin Stuppin (Saint Mary's), 6-0, 6-0
CONSOLATION
Henry Riccioni-Brown (Menlo College) def Hasith Gummurulu (Pacific) 6-2, 6-0
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS
UC Davis, ranked No. 2 among public universities by the Wall Street Journal in the value of a college degree, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked top in the United States in agriculture and forestry as well as No. 1 in veterinary medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
For more information, visit ucdavisaggies.com/.
