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After impressing the crowds in Manila, tennis stars have reached Singapore for the second leg of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL). In the first match of the day, the UAE Royals face off against the Indian Aces.
The Royals won two of their three matches in Manila,while the Indian Aces are the only unbeaten team in the league so far. A keen contest is on the cards as the top two teams in the tournament take on each other.
Note: The order of play will be known 45 minutes before the start of the match.
Men’s Singles
2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic will take on Frenchman Gael Monfils in this rubber. Monfils got the better of the Croat in Manila and is unbeaten in his three singles matches so far. Both players rely on baseline play and one can expect to see a lot of rallies in the match. Monfils has added plenty of energy to the Aces team and the crowds in the Singapore Indoor stadium will be entertained.
Women’s Singles
Kristina Mladenovic who has had a good tournament so far takes on Ana Ivanovic in this set. Mladenovic beat Ivanovic in their previous meeting in Manila. The Serb will look to turn things around and the best way for her to do that is to return well from the start. Mladenovic plays a solid game with very little unforced errors. Ivanovic should take a few risks to unsettle her younger opponent.
Men’s Doubles
Doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic and Cilic have won one of their three matches as a pair in the league so far. On the other hand, Aces duo of Rohan Bopanna and Monfils won their last encounter against the Royals after losing the first two matches. It will be interesting to see the tactics employed by the Aces against Cilic while he is returning. Tomas Berdych and Nick Kyrgios served to the forehand of Cilic on the Ad court and were successful in their efforts as they won the set through a shootout.
Mixed Doubles
The Indian duo of Bopanna and Sania Mirza won all their three matches in Manila and will go into the match against Mladenovic and Zimonjic as firm favorites. The Royals pair lost the last two matches and will look to bounce back stronger against the in-form Indian pair. Bopanna has been effective on his serve and is aided by Mirza near the neat and the baseline thanks to wonderful lobs by the Hyderabadi. Indian team have a slight edge in this encounter.
Legends Singles
Big serving Croat Goran Ivanisevic will have revenge on his mind after losing to Spaniard Fabrice Santoro in their last meeting in the Manila leg of the IPTL. Both players are not afraid to play the serve and volley game and the points are expected to be short. A break of serve from either player could turn out to be crucial in the set.
