MATCH PREDICTION: Royals to ride on winning momentum; Warriors poised for another drubbing

THE JAPAN WARRIORS have got off to the worst possible start in their debut season of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) having lost all their previous five matches over the past ten days. And, it looks like Japan’s horrendous run in the competition is likely to continue for a few more days given that the Warriors will be pitted against an in-form and formidable UAE Royals in New Delhi, today. 

Moreover, the early departure of Maria Sharapova and Kei Nishikori from the tournament has further depleted the Japanese team. At the moment, the Warriors seem to be struggling with momentum and form and coach Josh Eagle would do extremely well to lift the spirits of the team going ahead. 

On the other hand, the Royals after a small hic-up have got back to their winning ways and will be further boosted by the arrival of Roger Federer and Marin Cilic. UAE will enter today’s clash against Japan as the overwhelming favourites and should cruise home with ease. 

TFG analyses the game and picks the winner of the match between the Warriors and Royals. 

LEGENDS SINGLES 

UAE’s Goran Ivanisevic will be pretty pleased with his performance in the tournament so far. The Croat has fired his trademark aces and has notched up a few vital wins for his team. Expect Royals’ captain to continue his good form in his clash against Japan’s Thomas Enquist. The Swede showed signs of playing solid tennis in his debut match a few days back, but he might find the going tough against a more experienced player like Goran. 

Winner: Ivanisevic 

MEN’S SINGLES 
Tomas Berdych displayed exquisite, all-court tennis to beat the in-form Nick Kyrgios in Manila and will walk to the court with all the confidence against Japan's Philip Kohlschreiber. That said, the German too came up with brilliant shots to beat Richard Gasquet and will fancy his chances of out-hitting the Czech. Expect some intense exchanges between both players and Berdych might edge the German in a close set. 

Winner: Berdych

WOMEN’S SINGLES 

Ana Ivanovic might not have been clinical in all her sets thus far, but the Serb has managed to play a vital role in Royals’ success. Ivanovic will enter the contest against Japan’s Kurumi Nara/Lucic Baroni as the favourite and should get the job done without much drama. As seen in the previous games, UAE might also use Kristina Mladenovic as the substitute for Ivanovic. 

Winner: Ivanovic 

MIXED DOUBLES 

In this category, the pair of Kristina Mladenovic/Daniel Nestor will have high chances of prevailing over the team of Baroni/Herbert. Baroni might once again prove to be a weak link for the Warriors and that might stop the visiting team from winning the set. 

Winners: Mladenovic/Nestor

MEN’S DOUBLES 
The pair of Nestor/Berdych have enjoyed each others company and have played some brilliant doubles tennis. That said, the Warriors' pair of Leander Paes/Herbert too, have shown great coordination and skills as a team. Paes will be playing in front of his home crowd and will enjoy all the support to eke out a crucial win. 

Winners: Paes/Herbert

The Warriors are visibly struggling as a unit, owing to which they are languishing at the bottom of the points table. On the other hand, the Royals seem to have formed a formidable team for all the categories. Currently placed at no.3 in the table, the Royals have all the ingredients to convincingly beat the Warriors today and improve their win/loss percentage.