Singapore: The Musafir.com UAE Royals returned to winning ways this evening, moving to outright second in the table and leap-frogging the Manila Mavericks in a thrilling encounter which ended (26–21), putting an end to the Mavericks’ unbeaten run.

Despite going down 6-5 in a tightly contested first set, the Royals fought back well as Cilic inspired the team with a win over Tsonga, and Mladenovic showing her true form as she closed out the final two sets and the match in convincing fashion. The Musafir.com UAE Royals will play the DBS Singapore Slammers on the final day of the Singapore leg as they look to consolidate their position before the League moves on to New Delhi.  

What Happened

·         Manila Maverick Mark Phillippoussis triumphs 6-5 in the opening set over Goran Ivanisevic in an exciting super shoot-out

·         US Open Champion Marin Cilic breaks serve in a hard hitting battle to come away with a 6-4 win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

·         Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Treat Huey produced moments of magic as the Mavericks take the set 6-3 defeating Nenad Zimonjic and Marin Cilic

·         Zimonjic bounced back with mixed doubles partner, the in-form Mladenovic to beat Nestor and Flipkens 6-1

·         Mladenovic then took the momentum into the fifth and final set with her ground stroke game prevailing, wrapping up the set 6 – 4, pulling away as outright second in the table

What the Players Said

Mark Phillippoussis

“This is the best I’ve served, I felt like I had great rhythm tonight. We’ve got a lot of good points and I’m very happy to win the match.”

“The fans were beautiful, this is the reason why I started playing the sport in the first place, it’s an absolute blessing. I give it my all and I always enjoy it a little bit more if I win. The most important thing for me is to give it everything and just to have fun and realise how lucky I am to be here, thank you so much for the incredible support and making it very special for us tennis players.”

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

“We’re having a lot of fun, the whole team’s playing well and we’re enjoying it.”

“The format is great, it is a lot of fun to play, there is a lot of energy during each tie, we are a little bit tired, but it’s very exciting and it’s good to be part of it because it’s a success and is going to stay for a long time.”

NenadZimonjic

“I’ve been playing every match so far, doubles and mixed doubles, it is tough, you’ve got to stay focused, every point counts. A little lack of concentration could cost you the match and I think it’s important. The system and the points, the power points makes extra pressure, so I believe all this experience will help me when it comes to playing back on the tour, playing regular scoring. You’re going to feel like you’ve got all the time in the world, and very relaxed, for me this is good preparation.”

Match Results