Hyderabad: The local team landed in Hyderabad already as the leaders of the Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). But that was not enough. They wanted more. They wanted to start the last leg, at home, with a win. And the Aces were simply unstoppable.
The Indian side beat the reigning champions OUE Singapore Slammers with a sensational 23-19 the same day that Sania Mirza could play again in front of her home crowd.
In the other match, Japan Warriors moved to third place with a 23-20 win over UAE Royals.
Match Highlights
After delivering yesterday the most spectacular set so far in the competition, Marcelo Melo/Marcos Baghdatis and Feliciano López/Ivan Dodig offered a new chapter of this special rivalry. This time, though, López and Dodig didn’t give any chances to their opponents.
Same situation in the Men’s Singles, when López needed just 17 minutes to denied Nick Kyrgios a single game. After two sets, the Aces already made a statement: 12-2.
Kiki Bertens recovered for the Slammers when she beat Kirsten Flipkens with a solid 6-2 that gave confidence to Singapore’s legend Carlos Moyà, who took the set against the Aces' coach/player Thomas Enqvist.
When the Slammers got too close, it was time for the local favourite Sania Mirza and her Indian partner Rohan Bopanna against Kiki Bertens/Marcelo Melo. The Indian pair eventually sealed the victory in a Shoot-Out.
