New Delhi: The India-leg of the International Premier Tennis League began with a bang at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Saturday.
The atmosphere at the venue resembled a fashion show rather than a match event with foot-tapping music and LED lights flashing all around the stadium.The UAE Royals took the first match honours as they eased past Singapore Slammers 29-16.
Marin Cilic opened the proceedings for the Royals and overcame Lleyton Hewitt 6-3 in 25 minutes. Cilic dictated the terms from the word go and raced to a 5-1 lead in no time.
The seventh game saw Hewitt make some smart moves as he managed to break the Croat and eventually held serve (5-3).It came as a wake-up call for Cilic as he tightened the noose on Hewitt and reeled of next four points on a trot to pocket the set.
“After playing for six days I was bit tired in the end of the match and Hewitt made good use of that,” Cilic said after the match.“This was my first match here so we are also taking time to adjust to the court and the balls,” he added.In the men’s doubles, Cilic partnered Nenad Zimonjic to breeze past Hewitt and Tomas Berdych 6-2.
The past champions singles tie was punctuated with on court antics of the Royals’ Goran Ivanisevic as he made some funny dance moves to get the swaying over after winning them over with the traditional ‘Namaste’.
A fitter-looking Ivanesevic blanked Patrick Rafter 6-0 in just 20 minutes.“I enjoyed every second on court. I am thankful to my team mates for pushing me and the crowd for their support,” said the legendry player.
The mixed doubles match also went in the Royals’ favour after Zimonjic and Kristina Mladenovic defeated Nick Kyrgios and Daniela Huntuchova 6-4.The only setback for the winners was in the women’s singles where Denmark’s former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki went down fighting to Hantuchova 5-6.
Mavericks in lead against Aces
In the second match of the day, Manila Mavericks surprised table toppers Indian Aces taking two consecutive sets to lead 12-10.The Indian mixed doubles duo of Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza lost the first tie 5-6 against Kirsten Flipkens and Daniel Kirsten.
The home pair were up 3-1 but the Manila combo levelled the scores and then stretched it to the tie-breaker which they won.
The second tie also went on the same lines after Aces’ Cedric Pioline and Mark Philippoussis held their serves. With Philippoussis leading 5-4, Pioline’s double sealed the game in favour Mavericks.
