THE SINGAPORE SLAMMERS and UAE Royals will clash in the second match of the Singapore leg of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) in Singapore this evening.
Both teams are still battling for a spot in the finals and that will certainly bring more excitement to this clash. That said, the Royals, who are placed third on the table desperately need to win tonight to have a chance of making the cut. On the other hand, a victory for the Slammers will certainly book their places in Sunday's finals.
The Royals will also be strongly pinning their hopes on Roger Federer to come out all guns blazing before the maestro departs from the tournament. Meanwhile, the hosts will be delighted to have the services of Stan Wawrinka who will further add depth and variety to the Slammers’ squad.
TFG analyses the game and predicts the winner of the match between the Royals and the Slammers.
LEGENDS SINGLES
While Goran Ivanisevic started off the tournament on a high note, his form has dipped towards the latter stages of the IPTL. On the other hand, Carlos Moya struggles in the initial stages, but has managed to adjust to the format and the conditions. The Croat will stick to his method of serving big and attacking from his forehand, while the Spaniard should feel comfortable occupying the baseline. It’s a pressure game and that makes Moya as the slight favourite.
Winner: Moya
Karolina Pliskova and Kristina Mladenovic ended up playing a grueling set a few days back in Dubai. Both women are expected to struggle on serve, but expect plenty of winners on the ground strokes. Another baseline slugfest is one the cards and once again the higher ranked Czech is likely to come out trumps.
Winner: Pliskova
The pairing of Pliskova/Brown have enjoyed decent success in the mixed doubles competition so far and they will surely be tested against Federer/Mladenovic. The Royals’ pair will be teaming up for the first time and might take time to get used to the coordination. Expect the women’s serve to be broken in this clash, but the Slammers’ pair is likely to have the last laugh in a tough set.
Winners: Pliskova/Brown
MEN’S DOUBLES
The clash between Melo/Kyrgios and Federer/ has all the makings of a thriller. While Melo/Kyrgios have been in the mix and settled as a team, Nestor/Federer might take a few games to get warmed up. However, as we have seen in this category a drop in concentration or game can certainly push you on the backfoot. Expect Federer use his kick-serve, while Nestor will continue to finish off the volleys at the net. On the other hand, Slammers’ pair has an all-round game and are likely to have the last laugh.
Winners: Melo/Kyrgios
MEN’S SINGLES
The clash between Federer and countryman Stan Wawrinka is going to produce arguably the best tennis of the evening. There are no secrets between the two and it will be interesting how Federer and Wawrinka handle the situation. Although Federer leads Wawrinka in their head-to-head on the ATP tour, we can expect a close contest. That said, the World no.3 has spent enough time the court and will rely on his match practice to get the job done.
Winner: Federer
The Royals need an overall team performance against the hosts to have any chance of staying afloat in the tournament. On the other hand, the Slammers are enjoying their winning run and are likely to trump the Royals en-route to booking their place in the finals.