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Action on the third day of the Tennis Premier League marked the end of the juggernaut for the Punjab Patriots, who went down to the formidable Gujarat Panthers side 43-37.
Two-time champions Hyderabad Strikers find themselves precariously placed in sixth position on the points table after losing to Mumbai Leon Army by a narrow 41-39 margin.
Pune Jaguars failed to turn things around on Day 3 as they slumped to their third straight defeat in as many matches after being walloped 47-33 by Bengal Wizards, who are now perched on top of the heap with 129 points in total.
Bengaluru SG Mavericks are just a couple of points behind, having earned a big win after trouncing Delhi Binny's Brigade with a scoreline of 44-36.
Let's take a look at the action lined up on day 4 of the fifth season of the Tennis Premier League.
Match 1: Punjab Patriots vs Mumbai Leon Army, 4:30 PM
For once, Conny Perrin failed to get the Patriots off to a winning start but still managed a 10-10 draw against Ekaterina Yashina of the Gujarat Panthers before winning the mixed doubles partnering Arjun Khade.
The Patriots are now placed fourth with 121 points, two points ahead of the Mumbai Leon Army. Friday's opening match will thus be crucial for both sides in their semifinal quest.
Ernests Gulbis will be the key for the Leon Army while Conny Perrin will be keen to come away with a win for the Patriots.
Prediction: Expect the Patriots to shake off their defeat against the Panthers and overcome the Mumbai Leon Army on Friday.
Gujarat Panthers vs Bengaluru SG Mavericks, 5:55 PM
Two of the strongest sides in the Tennis Premier League face off with just four points separating them on the points table and all to play for.
Sumit Nagal struck form against the Punjab Patriots on Day 3 and will be a force to reckon with against the likes of Ramkumar Ramanathan of the SG Mavericks.
India's No. 2 Karman Kaur Thandi of the Panthers outfit will need to be at her best when she takes on Arina Rodionova, with a close contest expected to unfold in the mixed doubles and men's doubles events.
Prediction: Expect the Gujarat Panthers to prevail in what is expected to be a humdinger of a contest.
Match 3: Delhi Binny’s Brigade vs Bengal Wizards, 7:20 PM
Inspired by India legend Leander Paes, the Bengal Wizards surged to the top of the points table on Thursday but will need to contend with an in-form Dennis Novak who defeated Ramkumar Ramanathan 11-9.
Siram Balaji, who lost to Lukas Rosol on Day 3, has yet another daunting task on hand when he takes on Novak, the 30-year-old Austrian, who is one of the biggest names in the tournament.
The Indian can, however, take heart from the fact that he has scored more points than any other player in the competition with a tally of 72.
Maria Timofeeva of the Wizards thrashed Pune Jaguars' Diana Marcinkevica 13-7 and will be the favorite when she takes the court against Binny's Bridages' Vaidehi Chaudhari.
Prediction: Expect the Bengal Wizards to emerge victorious in a match where the doubles ties could be the clincher.
Match 4: Pune Jaguars vs Hyderabad Strikers, 8:45 PM
Pune Jaguars, who are currently languishing at the bottom of the points table in the ongoing Tennis Premier League with 107 points will be desperate for a win against the defending champions.
Lukas Rosol will need to deliver for the Jaguars if local fans wish to celebrate a win for the Pune franchise. Diana Marcinkevica of Pune will need to rediscover her winning tough against Ellen Perez, who defeated Sowjanya Bavisetti of the Mumbai Leon Army on Thursday.
Prediction: Expect Hyderabad Strikers to register a win and move up the points table in the last match of the day.
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.
