GS Delhi Aces move to top spot; Rajasthan Rangers hold second place after day two in TPL 7

Ahmedabad, Dec 11 (IANS) Day two of the Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 7 delivered another series of closely fought matches at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium, with GS Delhi Aces and Chennai Smashers kicking off proceedings on the charcoal-coloured surface court. 

In the Women’s Singles, Sofia Costoulas continued her strong form from the opening day with a composed 17-8 victory over Irina Bara, dominating the rallies with her consistency baseline.

She then partnered with Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan in the Mixed Doubles, where the duo maintained their momentum to secure a 16-9 victory against Irina Bara and Rithvik Bollipalli, further strengthening GS Delhi Aces’ hold on the tie.

Chennai Smashers responded in the Men’s Singles, with Dalibor Svrcina narrowly defeating Billy Harris 13–12 in a close contest. Svrcina and Rithvik Bollipalli then secured a 14–11 win in the Men’s Doubles. However, when the overall points were counted, GS Delhi Aces claimed a 56–44 victory to start their day on a winning note.

In the second match, SG Pipers Bengaluru faced Yash Mumbai Eagles. Riya Bhatia provided the Eagles with an impressive start, defeating Shrivalli Bhamidipaty 17–8 in the Women’s Singles. In Mixed Doubles, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty and Rohan Bopanna maintained their unbeaten streak with a confident 14–11 victory over Riya Bhatia and Niki Poonacha.

Ramkumar Ramanathan then put SG Pipers ahead with a confident 15–10 win against world number 57 Damir Dzumhur in the Men’s Singles. The tie came down to the Men’s Doubles, where Niki Poonacha and Damir Dzumhur narrowly defeated Ramkumar Ramanathan and Rohan Bopanna 13–12, allowing Yash Mumbai Eagles to secure a narrow 51–49 overall victory.

In the third match of the day, Hyderabad Strikers faced Gujarat Panthers. In the Women’s Singles, Carole Monnet delivered a sharp performance to secure a 14–11 victory over Nuria Brancaccio, showcasing excellent court coverage and control.

She carried that form into the mixed doubles alongside Vishnu Vardhan, where the Hyderabad pair edged Nuria Brancaccio and Anirudh Chandrasekhar 13–12 to strengthen their position in the tie.

In the Men’s Singles, Alexandre Muller narrowly defeated Stefano Travaglia 13–12 in a closely contested match. In the Men’s Doubles, Chandrasekhar/Müller won 13-12 against Travaglia/Vardhan, securing the overall tie for Hyderabad with a score of 51–49 Strikers.

In the final game of the day, Gurgaon Grand Slammers faced Rajasthan Rangers. In the Women’s Singles, 25-year-old Sahaja Yamalapalli narrowly defeated Ekaterina Kazionova 13–12 in a fiercely contested match, giving Gurgaon a positive start.

The Rangers responded in the mixed doubles, where Ekaterina Kazionova and Suresh Dakshineswar teamed up effectively to secure a 13–12 victory over Balaji Sriram and Sahaja Yamalapalli.

In the Men’s Singles, Dan Evans faced world No. 26 Luciano Darderi, and the Briton secured a narrow 13–12 victory for the Gurgaon Grand Slammers.

In the Men’s Doubles, Balaji Sriram and Dan Evans faced Suresh Dakshineswar and Luciano Darderi. The Rajasthan Rangers pairing defeated the Gurgaon duo 18–7, securing a 55–45 overall victory.

--IANS

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