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The second day of action at the ongoing Tennis Premier League witnessed sides like Bengaluru SG Mavericks, defending champions Hyderabad Strikers, and Mumbai Leon Army bounce back after defeats on the opening day.
Punjab Patriots, who had gotten past SG Mavericks by a narrow 41-39 margin on Day 1, notched up their second win when they beat Delhi Binny's Brigade 43-37.
With the field wide open, four intriguing battles lie ahead on the third day of the fifth season of Tennis Premier League being played in Pune.
Let's take a look at what lies in store on Day 3:
Match 1: Punjab Tigers vs Gujarat Panthers, 4:30 PM
The Tigers, who are undefeated in the competition, face off with a side who were stunned by two-time champion Hyderabad Strikers despite possessing, arguably, one of the finest lineups in the competition.
While India's top-ranked singles player Sumit Nagal was undone by Niki Poonacha 12-8, the Panther's Karman Thandi went down to Ellen Perez 13-7.
A tough test awaits the Tigers, who need to be at their best against the Gujarat Panthers given that the Arjun Kapoor-backed side will be keen to return to winning ways.
Prediction: While the Tigers would like nothing better than to register their third win on the trot, expect the Panthers to prevail on the charcoal-colored courts.
Match 2: Mumbai Leon Army vs Hyderabad Strikers, 5:55 PM
The Leon Army suffered a heavy 46-34 defeat against the Gujarat Panthers but came back strongly to prevail against the Bengal Wizards 44-36, thanks, in part, to Sowjanya Bavisetti.
The 30-year-old from India first defeated Russia's Maria Timofeeva, aged 20, before going on to win the mixed doubles as well.
Mumbai Leon Army will now be up against a team who also have one win and one defeat under the belt, making for a fascinating contest on Day 3.
Prediction: The Strikers' creditable win against the Gujarat Panthers' team is sure to inspire the two-time champions and they will be expected to emerge victorious in their third outing of the Tennis Premier League.
Match 3: Pune Jaguars vs Bengal Wizards, 7:20 PM
Lukas Rosol, who defeated Ramkumar Ramanathan of the SG Mavericks on Wednesday, will continue to be the key for Pune Jaguars who are yet to win a match at the 2023 edition of the Tennis Premier League.
After going down to Delhi Binny's Brigade and Bengaluru SG Mavericks, the Pune franchise will be desperate for a win to keep their hopes alive in the tournament.
The Wizards, who opened their campaign with a win against the Hyderabad Strikers, went down to Mumbai Leon Army.
Prediction: Expect the Bengal Wizards to notch up a win but Sriram Balaji will need to rediscover the form he displayed in the opener.
Match 4: Delhi Binny’s Brigade, Bengaluru SG Mavericks, 8:45 PM
With the likes of Binny Brigade's Dennis Novak and the SG Mavericks' Ramkumar Ramanathan set to battle it out, this late-evening contest promises to enthrall the crowds at the Tennis Premier League.
Russian-born Australian Arina Rodionova has delivered the goods for the SG Mavericks while Sahaja Yamalapalli, who gave the Patriots' Conny Perrin a run for her money, will ensure that Binny's Brigades go into the match as equals.
Prediction: In what is certain to be a close and exciting battle, expect the Binny's Brigade to prevail riding on Dennis Novak's expertise.
Tennis Premier League - 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 live stream all the games.
