ACES & VOLLEYS: New look Mumbai team will lean heavily on Pennetta, Krajicek, Balaji
THE MUMBAI TENNIS MASTERS might have missed out narrowly on a chance to qualify for the final stages of the inaugural Champions Tennis League (CTL), but the Mumbai franchise has made some serious amendments to their squad for the upcoming edition.
The inclusion of former men’s Wimbledon Champion Richard Krajicek and the reigning women’s US Open champion Flavia Pennetta has boosted Mumbai’s hopes of going all the way in this season.
Suddenly, Mumbai now looks a formidable unit. Although, an untimely withdrawal of Andreas Seppi might have unsettled their plans a bit, the addition of Clay specialist, Santiago Giraldo into the squad continues to add balance to the Mumbai team.
While analysing the strong and weak points of Mumbai Tennis Masters, TFG finds that, undoubtedly, Mumbai’s biggest asset will be the presence of reigning women’s US Open champion Pennetta. The Italian has just retired from the game after going through a dream run in 2015. Pennetta might have bid adieu to the game, but she will carry all the momentum from the recently concluded, year ending championships and that will be a huge plus for team Mumbai. In addition, Pennetta’s weight of shots from the back court and her experience of playing in crunch situations will surely keep the Mumbai team in great spirits.
Below watch the video where she shares her thoughts on playing in CTL
Moreover, in the legends category, the service of Krajicek will be a huge weapon. The former Wimbledon champion always thrived on his big serve to win some cheap points and given the frenetic pace of CTL’s format, the Dutch’s serve alone could win some crucial points and games for Mumbai. Krajicek can also handle points at the net well and because of his long reach, Mumbai team can expect some volley winners.
Meanwhile, doubles specialist Sriram Balaji will play a vital role in the men’s doubles. Balaji might not be a great exponent of singles, but he has some decent credentials in the doubles. Given that the Indian has already been a part of Mumbai team in the last edition and has the experience of playing in this format, it certainly bodes well for another successful stint.
As far as the weakness of the Mumbai team goes, the withdrawal of Andreas Seppi might prove to be a huge blow. On the hard courts, the Italian’s hard-hitting game from the baseline would have been a great asset for the Mumbai team. Besides, Seppi has been beating the top players regularly in the ATP circuit with his all-around play.
Watch the video below where Seppi states the reason of his withdrawal
Seppi’s replacement Giraldo is predominantly a clay specialist and hasn’t enjoyed much success on the hard courts. Coming up against some hard hitting players with big serves could see the Colombian struggle. Furthermore, Giraldo is not an accomplished doubles player in the ATP circuit, owing to which he might struggle in the doubles competition with Balaji and the mixed doubles with Pennetta.
Like most legends, Krajicek has not been playing a lot these days post retirement, and that could act as an impediment for the former World no.4. As we have seen in the past, a veteran might possess a big game, but if the movements are restricted then it can get difficult to win points, let alone games.
