IPTL: UAE Royals beat Singapore Slammers 28-22
In the first match of the day, UAE Royals took on Singapore Slammers.
Men’s Singles
The Slammers fielded Tomas Berdych for the first set. It was Marin Cilic for the Royals who took the court. It was Cilic who took the early lead courtesy a break in the second game. Berdych broke back in the next game at 30-40 down after opting for a power point, where a player gets two points. Cilic’s forehand went wide handing over the game to the Czech.
Berdych was struggling on his serve and his service games went to a deciding point in the first few games. Cilic had a chance to break his opponent in the eighth game, but a big first serve to Cilic’s backhand prevented him from going ahead. However, Cilic eventually broke Berdych’s serve with a thumping forehand down the line which Berdych netted in the tenth game.
Cilic beat Berdych 6-4.
Men’s Doubles
Cilic and Nenad Zimonjic took on the pair of Berdych and Nick Kyrgios in the second set. Cilic got his team to a good start with an easy hold. Berdych was under pressure on his serve at 15-40 in the second game. He served to Cilic’s forehand on two occasions and managed to level the scores at 1-1.
Kyrgios’s serve was put under pressure in the fourth when Royals took a Power point at 40-30, but the Australian served well to win the game. The seventh game went to a deciding point when a let court helped Zimonjic to take a 4-3 lead!
The set went to a shootout at 5-5. The Slammers jumped to a 4-0 lead, before the Royals crawled back to make it 5-5 in the shootout. The next point was the deciding point and Kyrgios served an ace to take the set.
Berdych/Kyrgios beat Cilic/Zimonjic 6-5 (6-5).
Women’s Singles
Kristina Mladenovic was coming into the match after a heartbreaking loss to Maria Sharapova in the first match. Daniela Hantuchova was out of sorts in her 0-6 loss to Ana Ivanovic in her first match. It was Mladenovic who took early control of the match with terrific returns and was aided by some unforced errors from the Slovakian.
Mladenovic did not let Hantuchova into the set after taking an early lead as she broke the Slovakian’s serve again to take a 5-1 lead. Mladenovic was too good in the seventh game and won the set comfortably.
Mladenovic beat Hantuchova 6-1.
Mixed Doubles
Mladenovic/Zimonjic took on Hantuchova/Bruno Soares in the fourth set. There was one service break apiece in the early stages of the set. The set was evenly placed at 4-4. The Slammers substituted Soares who was serving at 0-30 down in the ninth game. He was replaced by Kyrgios. The Australian changed things around dramatically and took the set to another shootout.
Superb reflexes at the net by Kyrgios helped the Slammers win the breaker 7-4.
Legends Singles
It was a rematch of the 2001 Wimbledon final as Goran Ivanisevic took on Pat Rafter in the last set. The match was an exciting one right from the start as both men went for their shots. The crowd was enthralled by some awesome skills from legends as they approached the net.
Rafter had several chances to go ahead in the set, but Ivanisevic dug deep to stay in the hunt. The set went to a shootout and it was the Croat who was dominant throughout the breaker and took it 8-4.
Ivanisevic beat Rafter 6-5 (8-4).