MANILA, Philippines -- The Indian Aces proved to be the best team so far in the inaugural International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) as they defeated the UAE Royals, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, and 6-4 in the final day of the Manila leg Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Frenchman Gael Monfils was the star of the night for the Aces, as he lifted them to victory in the men's doubles and in the men's singles, while Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza continued their winning run in the mixed doubles.
The Aces' 28-20 aggregate victory over the Royals means that they are now at the top of the table at the end of the opening leg of the IPTL.
"I love this format, and I love this event," said Monfils, who by the second day of the IPTL had become the darling of the crowd. "I think we have fun our there, and we are good friends (among the team)."
"It was a good pick for our team... We have fun out there, but still, we are serious on the court, so for me, it's great," he added.
Both the Royals and the Aces were unbeaten entering Sunday's match, having won their Friday and Saturday matches.
The Royals got off to a winning start after Kristina Mladenovic stunned world No. 5 and crowd favorite Ana Ivanovic in the women's singles set, 6-4.
The pair of Bopanna and Mirza put the Aces on the win column with a great performance in the mixed doubles, beating Mladenovic and Nenad Zimonjic. Bopanna and Mirza again showed off the chemistry that allowed them to beat the superstar pair of Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova Saturday night.
Bopanna then teamed up with Monfils in the men's singles, and they combined to see off Zimonjic and Cilic in an entertaining set that saw the Frenchman thrill the crowd with his athletic moves.
Monfils entertained the crowd in the break between sets as well, dancing to the tune of "Teach Me How to Dougie" and playing to the audience, who eagerly cheered and applauded his every move.
Against Cilic in the men's singles, Monfils showed that he was as great a tennis player as he was a dancer, taking a 2-1 advantage against the U.S. Open champion who seemed to struggle with his return.
Ahead of the fourth game, the Royals substituted Tunisian world No. 80 Malek Jaziri in place of Cilic, and the move seemed to briefly throw off Monfils as Jaziri tied the set at 2-2.
"I was a bit surprised, and at the end, I hope that Marin is good," said Monfils. "You know, I know Malik, I've played against him (before), and I know he is tough."
"Maybe not everybody knows that he is this good, but he's very strong," he added.
Monfils quickly regained his composure, however, winning the next two games in quick fashion. Jaziri salvaged a game to make it 3-4, but Monfils showed remarkable shot-making in the eight game, winning a sensational rally through a perfectly placed lob. His momentum carried into the ninth game, where he blanked Jaziri to seal the win.
"I was in great shape at the end of the game," said Monfils.
The final set of the match pitted Fabrice Santoro against another crowd favorite, Goran Ivanisevic, in the legends set. Ivanisevic, as he had done all throughout the Manila leg, played to the audience all throughout, but Santoro broke his serve in the final game to cap the win for the Aces.
The Indian Aces now have 12 points to top the table at the end of the Manila leg, while the Royals settled for 10 points after losing their last match.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
