Coca-Cola IPTL: Possible scenarios for teams to win the tournament
The inaugural edition of the Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) over the past two weeks has drawn quite a lot of interest from tennis fans across the world. With star players from both past and present generations battling it out for their respective teams, tennis’ new avatar has certainly been refreshing for both players and fans.
After 10 days of tennis action spread across Asia, the league has reached a point where each match counts and could be the difference between a title win and a lowly ranked position. With three teams being in contention for the title, the Coca-Cola IPTL is headed for an exciting finish in Dubai.
Note: The article was written before the matches for the 2nd and 3rd day of the UAE leg were swapped to keep the possibility of the tournament to be alive going into the final day.
Here are the permutations and combinations that the teams would need to keep in mind to win the inaugural tournament:
DBS Singapore Slammers
With only two wins in their 10 matches, the Singapore Slammers languish at the bottom of the table with 19 points. Despite having Serena Williams and Tomas Berdych in their ranks, the Slammers could not produce positive results and only won matches in their home leg of the tournament.
They are separated from the next highest team Manila Mavericks by 10 points and are certain to end the tournament at the bottom place. However, the Singapore team can cause some upsets and derail the championship hopes of the Mavericks and Royals in the coming days.
Manila Mavericks
The Mavericks suffered a close defeat against the home team in their first match of the Dubai leg losing 26-25. This defeat severely dented their chances of winning the title. They are now placed in third position with 29 points and are separated from table toppers Indian Aces by 5 points with two matches to go.
The Mavericks play the Singapore Slammers on Friday and end their campaign against the Indian Aces. Even if they secure two wins in their upcoming matches, the team from Manila are not certain to win the title. For them to win, they need to win their remaining matches and hope that the Indian aces do not win any of their matches or score a total of four points in the remaining matches. Also, the UAE team should not secure six points or more in their remaining matches.
Looking at the scenarios, it seems a really uphill task for the Mavericks to lift the inaugural Coca-Cola IPTL.
Musafir.com UAE Royals
The Royals would be up against table-toppers Micromax Indian Aces on the second day of the UAE leg of the tournament. This encounter would be a do-or-die one for the home team, as a win for the Aces would ensure that they win the title. However, a win for the Royals would still keep the championship alive heading into the final day of the tournament.
If they win both their remaining matches, the Royals can lift the title assuming the Aces fail to beat the Mavericks on the last day of the tournament.
Micromax Indian Aces
The Micromax Indian Aces are the best placed team heading into the business end of the tournament. With seven wins and three losses, they are comfortably perched at the top of the table with 34 points. However, the results in the remaining two matches can unsettle the Aces and they may have to be content with a runner-up position.
The equation is simple for the Aces: a win against the Royals would seal the deal. However, if they fail to beat the home team then they will have to beat the Mavericks or else rely on Singapore beating the Royals in the last match on Saturday. The number of games won by the Indian Aces in a defeat would also be crucial as it would determine whether they get two points or just a solitary point.
With the current points scenario, the Indian Aces look good to capture the title. But with Djokovic in the ranks for the UAE Royals, the home team would be gunning to claim the win on home turf and could give the Indian Aces a serious run for their money.
All-in-all, it seems like we could be headed for some exciting tennis at the Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai.