MATCH REPORT: Aces continue their dream run, Warriors slide down further
THE INDIAN ACES continued their dream run after beating the Japan Warriors (25-18) on the opening day of the Dubai leg of International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) yesterday.
The Aces walked onto the court as the overwhelming favourites and lived up to their billing by putting up another solid performance early in the afternoon. The Aces have firmly cemented their position at the top of the points table and look certain to occupy that spot for a lengthy period of time.
With Rafael Nadal exiting the tournament, the Aces roped in debutant Bernard Tomic for the singles.
First up, Mirza/Bopanna came into this clash against Flipkens/Hebert as the firm favourites, but rather strangely struggled to time the ball. Their coordination too wasn’t up to the mark.
On the other hand, Herbert kept producing some gems with all-court tennis. His partner, Flipkens too held firm. In the end, the Warriors’ pair stopped the Aces’ incredible run in the mixed doubles by wrapping up the set 6-4.
In the women’s singles, Agnieszka Radwanska looked a little tight in the first few games, but picked up her game for a quick lead. The Polish player high percentage tennis by moving Lucic-Baroni around the court. In the end the precision and consistency of Radwanska for too much for the Croat. The Aces comfortably won the set 6-1.
In the legends singles, “Magician” Fabrice Santoro continued from where he left in Delhi. The Aces’ captain kept producing some miraculous shots at will and never allowed Thomas Enquist to settle in. The Swede was clearly out of sorts and had no answers to the brilliance of the Frenchman. In the end, Santoro bageled his opponent to win the set.
In the men’s doubles, Bopanna/Dodig put up a great fight against Kohlschreiber/Paes, the set going down to the wire with both sides not wanting to give up. Ultimately the Aces won it in the shootout, taking it away at 6-5.
In his first match, Tomic visibly struggled to adapt to the conditions and the German Philip Kohlschreiber capitalized on the opportunity and raced to a lead. Tomic committed a series of unforced errors and showed signs of rustiness. In the end, Kohlschreiber needed just one break in their set to nail the a 6-3 win.
Speaking after the win, Aces’ captain Santoro said,
“We were sure of bringing in Bernard last out in the match to give him a bit more time to get used to the format and the atmosphere. He took a little time to find his rhythm, but we are sure he will get used to it very soon. It’s great to have him join the team.”
On the secret to his great form, he added, “there’s no secret, I just do what I do … which is play tennis with a smile. I enjoy holding the racquet, hitting ball. At 43, this format is perfect for me. It’s thirty minutes, and I like that. I wouldn’t be able to play out a full 2-hours match, for sure!”
On the success formula of the Aces, he said “It’s a good team, we bond really well, spend as much time together as we can, we train together, eat together. And that is what helps us play so well.”
