IPTL Round-up | Indian Aces rally to another victory over Singapore Slammers
© IPTL
A day after beating Singapore Slammers, Indian Aces cruised to another victory over the same opponents in the Hyderabad leg of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). In the day’s other match, Japan Warriors beat UAE Royals to improve their chances of making Sunday’s showdown.
The clash began with men’s doubles, in which the Aces’ duo of Ivan Dodig and Feliciano López made their intent clear by playing attacking tennis from the outset. Marcos Baghdatis and Marcelo Melo failed to emulate their performances of the previous day, going down 6-2.
In men’s singles, Nick Kyrgios couldn’t exact revenge of the previous day’s loss to Feliciano López, who dismantled the Australian in just 17 minutes to help the Aces go up 12-2.
Slammers’ Kiki Bertens defeated Kirsten Flipkens 6-2 in women’s singles, and in the legends round, former world No.1 Carlos Moya brought his forehand into the play to get the better of Aces’ coach-cum-player Thomas Enqvist 6-4.
Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna went on to the court for the decisive rubber to chants of “Sania, Sania” by a packed Gachibowli Indoor Stadium crowd, and the duo didn’t disappoint, putting it past Bertens and Melo in the shootout as the Aces clinched the tie 23-19.
Warriors close in on Sunday showdown
Marat Safin put Warriors ahead by beating Goran Ivanisevic of the UAE Royals in the legends round, but Ana Ivanovic leveled it for Royals, routing Kurumi Nara 6-1 in women’s singles.
Ivanovic and Daniel Nestor went down to Warriors’ pair of Jelena Jankovic and Jean-Julien Rojer in mixed doubles.
