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The fifth edition of the Tennis Premier League 2023 gets underway on the charcoal-colored courts of Pune's Balewadi Stadium on December 12 with eight teams vying for top honors.
Some of India's best tennis talent will rub shoulders with a few big names from the international stage, all making for an exciting spectacle that aims to popularize tennis amongst the Indian masses.
Innovative rule changes that seek to infuse thrill while also making the game simpler to follow are sure to make an impact right from the first day of the competition with four intriguing battles lined up.
Match 1: Bengal Wizards vs Hyderabad Strikers
Debutants Bengal Wizards, backed by Indian legend Leander Paes, will square off against the formidable Hyderabad Strikers who are aiming to defend their Tennis Premier League title.
The 19-year-old Russian Maria Timofeeva will take the court for the Bengal Wizards as she teams up with India's Anirudh Chandrasekar and Sriram Balaji. Saketh Myneni will spearhead the campaign for the Hyderabad Strikers who also have Niki Poonacha and Australia's Ellen Perez in their ranks.
Prediction: Expect the Hyderabad Strikers to begin their campaign on a winning note.
Match 2: Pune Jaguars vs Delhi Binny's Brigade
The crowd is expected to go berserk when Asian Games gold medalist Rutuja Bhosale, Manish Sureshkumar, and Czech veteran Lukas Rosol turn out for the Pune Jaguars, who will face Delhi Binny's Brigade in the second match.
Delhi, meanwhile, have Jeevan Neduncheziyan, Vaidehi Chaudhari, and Austria's Denik Novak in their ranks, who will be cheered on by brand ambassador Malaika Arora.
Prediction: Expect the Pune Jaguars to prevail in their opener
Match 3: Punjab Tigers vs Bengaluru SG Mavericks
Punjab Tigers, who are backed by Taapsee Pannu and represented by Switzerland's Conny Perrin, Digvijay Pratap Singh, and Arjun Kadhe, will face Bengaluru SG Mavericks in the third match of the day.
The Bengaluru side include veteran campaigners Ramkumar Ramanathan and Vishnu Vardhan, who will be supported by Australia's Arina Rodionova.
Conny Perrin, who was with the victorious Hyderabad Strikers last season and was the 'Player of the Match' in the finals, is expected to play a vital role for the Punjab Tigers against the seasoned Bengaluru outfit.
Prediction: The experience of the Bengaluru side should see them through against the Punjab Tigers on Day 1.
Match 4: Mumbai Leon Army vs Gujarat Panthers
In the final match of the opening day, Mumbai Leon Army comprising Sowjanya Bavisetti, Vijay Sundar Prashanth, and Ernests Gulbis of Latvia will take on Gujarat Panthers.
The Panthers, backed by Arjun Kapoor, will be bolstered by India's top-ranked singles player Sumit Nagal alongside the redoubtable Karman Kaur Thandi and Mukund Sasikumar.
Prediction: The formidable firepower in the Panthers' ranks will mean they begin as the favorites and will be expected to win against Mumbai.
Tennis Premier League 2023: Where to watch?
The Tennis Premier League 2023 will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network. The Sony Sports Ten 2 channel will telecast the matches, while Sony LIV and the YouTube channel of the Tennis Premier League will livestream all the games.
