FINAL PREDICTION: Slammers' winning momentum to steer them to maiden IPTL title
THE SINGAPORE SLAMMERS and Indian Aces will lock horns to determine the winner of the second edition of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) today in Singapore. After three weeks of pulsating tennis action, the two best teams have qualified for the finals, and it promises to be an absolute thriller.
Both teams have already indulged in a rehearsal yesterday and it was the Slammers who convincingly beat the Aces. The hosts have enjoyed a dream run en-route to the finals and will certainly have the upper hand over the defending champions.
Moreover, the Aces have been hampered by an injury to Fabrice Santoro and will be desperately hoping for the captain to get back to full fitness before he steps onto the court today. The visitors are also looking a little weak in the ladies singles and men’s singles.
On the other hand, the title challengers have been further boosted by the presence of Stan Wawrinka and will be quite a formidable side to beat later in the afternoon. TFG analyses the game and picks the winner of the match between the Aces and Slammers.
LEGENDS SINGLES
It was very evident that Fabrice Santoro suffered from rustiness in his match against Carlos Moya yesterday. That said, expect the Aces’ captain come up with a clinical performance today. The Frenchman has arguably been the best player in this category and should fancy his chances of finishing on a high. The Spaniard too has got better as the tournament has progressed and should be reasonably confident of setting the tone for the side. An intriguing contest on the cards with some teasing rallies. Experience, big-match pressure might see Santoro prevail in a tight contest here.
Winner: Santoro
WOMEN’S SINGLES
Belinda Bencic came up with some high percentage tennis to convincingly beat the out-of-sorts Svetlana Kuznetsova. The Russian showed clear signs of rustiness and might continue to struggle today as well. On the other hand, the Swiss will rely on her baseline shots and might enjoy moving her opponent all over the court. We are likely to see breaks of serve here, but Bencic should cruise through.
Winner: Bencic
MIXED DOUBLES
Aces’ Mirza/Bopanna are likely to continue their dominance in this set against Brown/Pliskova. The Slammers’ duo might have gelled as a team and played some inspired tennis, but the experience of the Indian pair and match awareness should see them come out trumps. Expect the women’s serve to come under the gun.
Winners: Mirza/Bopanna
MEN’S SINGLES
Stan Wawrinka and Bernard Tomic provided us with some exciting tennis yesterday and we are in for another engaging set today. The pattern of play is likely to remain the same, with both men operating from the back-court. Expect the Australian to change the pace of the rally to disrupt the rhythm of Wawrinka, but the Swiss is likely to counter the tricky shots with his own bazooka shots. It’s a pressure set and both teams would be expecting their ATP pros to deliver the goods. Today, “Stan the Man” has more experience to get the job done.
Winner: Wawrinka
MEN'S DOUBLES
Wawrinka will be drafted into the doubles as well to team up with Melo to take in the in-form pair of Bopanna/Dodig. The Aces' duo has played some stunning tennis, owing to their tactics and coordination and should prevail without much trouble. Wawrinka/Melo might take time to settle down as a team and that could stop their progress.
Winners: Dodig/Bopanna
The Indian Aces would be determined not to relinquish their title and would certainly come up with a more clinical performance compared to yesterday, but the Slammers have winning momentum on their side. Furthermore, the hosts also have more firepower, variety and belief to win their maiden IPTL title in front of their home fans.
There is additional excitement being introduced into the finals through the IPTL Championship Final 5th Set Rule which states:
"In the event of the trailing team winning the fifth and final set, they have an opportunity to equal the number of games won by their opponents. The match will continue until either the trailing team has won enough games to equal the overall score and in which case a “Super Shoot Out” will be played. If the leading team wins one game however, they will be crowned champions."
Considering the fact that it is likely to be a close contest, there is every likelihood of the winner being decided through a Super Shoot Out. But that is unlikely to have any effect on who the winner will be as we expect Stan to stand up and be counted, and steer the Slammers to the crown.
