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On a sensational day of tennis, the Indian crowds were treated to a very high quality match on Day 1 of the Indian leg of the Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). In the second match of the day, the home team Indian Aces took on the Manila Mavericks, and there were fireworks galore.
Several players were on their first visit to the country, and they seemed to thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. Both teams played sensational tennis to set alight the Indian leg of the Happiness Open, and much to the delight of the spectators, the Aces won a thrilling encounter that went right down to the wire.
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Here is how the action unfolded:
Mixed doubles: Mirza/Bopanna vs Flipkens/Nestor
The Indian pair were unbeaten before tasting defeat against the Manila pair in Singapore a few days ago, and both Mirza and Bopanna seemed determined to set the record straight in front of a packed home crowd in Delhi. The Indians kept up their high level of intensity throughout the set, but the Mavericks’ pair managed to match them, with both teams frequently exchanging games in the set.
A shoot-out had to decide the match with both teams locked at 5-5. It was the Manila Mavericks who came out on top in overtime, winning the set 6-5.
Result: Flipkens/Nestor (Manila Mavericks) beat Mirza/Bopanna (Indian Aces) 6-5.
Legends’ singles: Cedric Pioline (Indian Aces) vs Mark Philippoussis (Manila Mavericks)
After that exciting set of mixed doubles, the legends took to the court next. Philippoussis has been in sublime form throughout the Coca-Cola IPTL, and he looked set to continue his impressive run. But Pioline was not going to be an easy opponent by any means.
The Frenchman kept the pressure on the ‘Scud’ throughout the set, but was ultimately broken with Philippoussis taking a very tight encounter 6-4.
Result: Philippoussis (Manila Mavericks) beat Pioline (Indian Aces) 6-4.
Men’s doubles: Bopanna/Monfils (Indian Aces) vs Huey/Tsonga (Manila Mavericks)
Just when we thought the tennis couldn’t get any better, Rohan Bopanna and Gael Monfils played the set of their lives to bring the crowd to its feet. They were super-aggressive and volleyed extremely well, and managed to keep the Mavericks at bay up to the half-way stage despite Tsonga and Huey playing near-flawless tennis themselves.
At 3-3, the Mavericks successfully called a Happiness Power Point to get the break. But in the very next game, the Aces performed a carbon copy of the Mavericks, winning their Happiness Power Point to break back instantly.
The set ultimately went to a shoot-out which the Aces won to take the set 6-5.
Result: Bopanna/Monfils (Indian Aces) beat Huey/Tsonga (Manila Mavericks) 6-5.
Men’s singles: Gael Monfils (Indian Aces) vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Manila Mavericks)
The action turned to the two Frenchman, with Monfils taking on Tsonga in the fourth set. The Davis Cup teammates showed no signs of their friendship, and all eyes were strictly on the prize.
The two were locked until 4-4, and it was Tsonga who broke free to take the next two games to win the set.
Result: Tsonga (Manila Mavericks) beat Monfils (Indian Aces) 6-4.
Women’s singles: Ana Ivanovic (Indian Aces) vs Kirsten Flipkens (Manila Mavericks)
The Mavericks went into the final game with a four-point lead in the overall match score. But this is where the tide turned towards the Indian Aces.
Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic pulled off an unbelievable performance to storm through the set after the score reached 2-2. Ivanovic reeled off four straight games from there, eventually taking the set 6-2. With that comprehensive win, the overall match score was tied at 25-25.
Result: Ivanovic (Indian Aces) beat Flipkens (Manila Mavericks) 6-2.
Super shoot-out: Gael Monfils (Indian Aces) vs Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Manila Mavericks)
With the scores tied, the match had to be decided by a Super Shoot-out. The Aces decided to field Monfils for this encounter, while the Mavericks expectedly went with Tsonga.
This time, Monfils was able to avenge the initial loss by winning the Super Shoot-out 10-7. That gave the Indian Aces a memorable 26-25 victory in the ‘Happiness Open’ in front of their home crowd, and left everyone in raptures at the nail-biting finish to the match.
Result: Monfils (Indian Aces) beat Tsonga (Manila Mavericks) 1-0, Indian Aces beat Manila Mavericks 26-25.
