5 take-aways for the Indian Aces from the first 2 legs of 2015 IPTL

The first two legs of the second season of IPTL were extremely exciting, and the champions of the inaugural edition – the Micromax Indian Aces – have once again dominated the field. Although their party was spoiled slightly by an inspired Philippine Mavericks who gave them the toughest and most intensely fought contest of the season, the Aces will take heart from the fact that they are still top of the table.The Fabrice Santoro-led team have a game winning percentage of 54.4%, winning three of their four contests, and the arrival of Rafael Nadal has given them a tremendous boost. The Mavericks are close on their heels winning four out of five contests, but a game winning percentage of 53.7% puts them in second place.The Indian Aces will now look forward to their home leg in New Delhi, and they will also try to press forward the advantage with Nadal leaving the tourney after the third leg.(For tickets to the Indian Aces matches, click here).Here are the five biggest take-aways for the Aces from the first two legs of the tournament.

#1 Defence is their strong suit

With Rafael Nadal in their line-up, the Aces should try and play in a more attacking fashion

There is a pattern to the way Indian Aces players are contesting. They consistently play risk-free tennis which shows up in their winner count - it is amongst the lowest in the tournament. The upside of this stat is that the Aces have committed the least number of unforced errors too.

They have successfully managed to frustrate their opponents with their solidity, and are loathe to give away cheap points. However, it would help if they are a little more enterprising now that they have wins under their belt and are fielding such a strong team, at least while Nadal is amongst them.

The right mix of attack and defence will make the Aces not just a great team, but a nearly unbeatable one.

#2 The ability to remain calm at crucial junctures has proved crucial

Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna have been vital for the Aces and failed to drop a set in the Manila leg

In all their four ties, the Indian Aces have had impressive numbers when it comes to crucial serve points won. Also, in two of their ties, they lost their first two sets before staging a comeback and winning the contest. Even in the third tie, they lost the first set before rebounding to dominate the rest of the proceedings.

This is good for the nerves of the fans in particular, given the fast-paced, adrenaline-driven nature of the IPTL where things could be won and lost in a jiffy. It helps that the Indian Aces win big on their first serve and make fewer double faults on average than their opponents.

Moreover, the presence of a player like Nadal has inspired them to give their best in the biggest moments - and the results are there for everyone to see.

#3 Fabrice Santoro\'s leadership is a big plus

Fabrice Santoro has been a fine leader for a team filled with stars

Fabrice Santoro, the team Legend, doubles up as coach and leader of the Indian Aces. The Frenchman holds the record for most number of Grand Slam appearances, and it is obvious that he knows a thing or two about tennis.

Santoro has led his team well; he has been responsible for some smart tactics and substitutions. More importantly, he has inspired the team to play stress-free and relaxed tennis without giving up on their intensity, and that has only helped the players.

The Indian Aces are one of the more unsettled teams in terms of player combinations. Roger Federer played for them last year, but this year it is Nadal who is their marquee player. But even Nadal joined them only from the third match (second leg). Meanwhile, Gael Monfils had to leave the team mid-way due to injury, and Samantha Stosur only joined the team at the last minute.

From singles to doubles and mixed-doubles, the Indian Aces have had to chop and change constantly. And yet, they have managed to stay upbeat and outperform their opponents, which speaks a lot about their competitiveness and strong leadership.

#4 Ivan Dodig has been a revelation

Ivan Dodig has been very good for the Aces

Here's a stat not many would have predicted: Ivan Dodig and Mark Philippoussis of Philippine Mavericks are the only two unbeaten players this year.

Dodig has been a major revelation for the Indian Aces, doing everything right for his team. He didn't get a chance to play in the first tie against Japan Warriors, but when his services were called upon against Singapore Slammers, he was responsible for as many as three wins.

The 87th-ranked Croatian defeated the big-hitting Australian Nick Kyrgios of Singapore Slammers 6-3 when he was required to play singles in place of Monfils. And in his preferred format he was almost invincible.

Ranked sixth in the world in doubles, Dodig paired with Rohan Bopanna to win the doubles set and then paired with Sania Mirza to win the mixed doubles as well.

When Nadal arrived Dodig joined forces with the Spaniard to win both their doubles sets, thus remaining unbeaten at the end of the two legs.The Croat might be required to play singles once more after the departure of Nadal, and his tremendous form will be heartening to the Aces camp as well as the fans.

#5 You don\'t mess with the Aces\' doubles teams

On their home base, the Aces could be very hard to beat

The Aces have been a little inconsistent in the singles and Legends' ties. But the doubles and mixed doubles pairs have kept them in the hunt each time with a string of fantastic performances.

The India-based team are yet to lose a men's doubles set. Monfils and Bopanna won their set in the first match, Dodig/Bopanna won theirs in the second match, and Dodig and Nadal won both their sets in the next two contests as well.

And after an initial loss, Sania Mirza has started looking really good in the mixed doubles too. In her latest tie, the World No. 1 doubles player combined well with Bopanna to beat the fancied pair of Treat Huey and Serena Williams.

With such a strong array of doubles experts in the squad, the Aces have one area of their game in perfect working order.