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The league stage of the Tennis Premier League 2023 came to a close after thrilling action on the fifth day. Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Ramkumar Ramanathan were among the pairs that helped their sides score victories and book knockout spots.
Other names including Ellen Perez and Conny Perrin also contributed to their sides’ victories as the round-robin matches concluded.
Here's a quick recap of everything that unfolded on Day 5 of the Tennis Premier League 2023.
Delhi Binny’s Brigade def. Hyderabad Strikers 41-39
Hyderabad Strikers’ Ellen Perez continued her winning run at the Tennis Premier League as she got off to a good start against Delhi Binny’s Brigade’s Sahaja Yamalapallu. Denis Novak then played a loose set, which, along with some big serving from Hyderabad’s surprise package Nikki Poonacha left his side staring at a 16-24 deficit after the two singles rubbers.
The Brigade, however, bounced back with a resounding win in the mixed doubles. Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan shone in the 14-6 win and he returned with Novak for the men’s doubles, with everything to play for. The duo fended off big serving from Poonacha and Saketh Myneni to bag the tightest of wins (41-39). With it, they bagged a fourth-spot finish and a ticket to the next stage.
Punjab Patriots def. Pune Jaguars 43-37
Much like Perez, Conny Perrin of the Punjab Patriots has made a habit of winning at the Tennis Premier League. On Saturday, she gave her side a big 14-6 lead over Pune Jaguars after winning the women’s singles against Diana Marcinkevicha.
Lukas Rosol pulled things back for the Jaguars with a 13-7 win against Digvijay Pratap Singh, but after the mixed doubles tie, the Patriots were at an advantage. They closed out with a confident 43-37 finish courtesy Digvijay and the seasoned Arjun Kadhe to secure third place and a coveted spot in the knock-outs. Pune Jaguars finished at the bottom of the table with no wins.
Bengaluru SG Mavericks def. Mumbai Leon Army 46-34
Mumbai Leon Army’s Sowjanya Bavisetti put up a strong fight against Bengaluru SG Mavericks’s Arina Rodionova, but could not secure a win, going down 9-11.
Ramkumar Ramanathan, however, continued his purple patch for the Bengaluru side to oust former World No. 10 Ernests Gulbis 15-5 — a day after his defeat of the India No. 1 Sumit Nagal.
The men’s and mixed doubles rubbers ended with each side taking an 11-9 win, leaving the Mavericks maintaining their big lead earned at the end of the singles matches. They moved to the top of the table to secure a knockout spot, with Mumbai staring at a fifth-place finish at best.
Bengal Wizards def. Gujarat Panthers 45-35
Gujarat Panthers’ Ekaterina Yashina pocketed a surprise victory over Maria Timofeeva, the big-hitting youngster from Bengal Wizards.
However, the Panthers were soon in trouble as Sumit Nagal’s underwhelming form saw him succumb to a loss against Sriram Balaji in the men’s singles. The side’s fate was sealed after they dropped both the doubles rubbers. The Wizards finished in second spot.
