Ahmedabad, Dec 12 (IANS) Gujarat Panthers registered their first win of the tournament, while GS Delhi Aces strengthened their hold at the top of the table on the third day of the Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 7, which witnessed thrilling action and close finishes at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Yash Mumbai Eagles and SG Pipers also secured wins in their respective matches.

Yash Mumbai Eagles and Hyderabad Strikers got the proceedings underway on Day Three.

Carole Monnet got the Strikers off to an ideal start with a 16-9 win against Riya Bhatia in the Women’s Singles match. However, Riya Bhatia and Niki Poonacha fought back with a 15-10 win against Carole Monnet and Vishnu Vardhan in the Mixed Doubles.

In the Men’s Singles category, Damir Dzumhur registered his first win of the tournament, overpowering Pedro Martinez 16-9. The duo of Vishnu Vardhan and Pedro Martinez did clinch a 13-12 against Damir Dzumhur and Niki Poonacha, but it wasn’t enough as Yash Mumbai Eagles prevailed 52-48.

In the second match of the day, Gujarat Panthers battled it out against Rajasthan Rangers. In the Women’s Singles, Ekaterina Kazionova registered a commanding 16-9 win against Nuria Brancaccio. Ekaterina Kazionova then teamed up with Dhakshineswar Suresh in the Mixed Doubles, clinching a 13-12 win against the pair of Nuria Brancaccio and Anirudh Chandrasekar, putting Rajasthan Rangers in the driver’s seat.

In the Men’s Singles encounter, two top 50 players went head-to-head. Alexandre Müller, ranked 46 in the world, delivered a clinic to win 17-8 against world no. 26 Luciano Darderi. Alexandre Müller and Anirudh Chandrasekar won 14-11 against Dhakshineswar Suresh and Luciano Darderi in the Men’s Doubles, completing a 52-48 comeback win for Gujarat Panthers, giving them their first win this season.

The third game of the day saw SG Pipers take on the Chennai Smashers. Irina Bara prevailed 13-12 against Shrivalli Bhamidipaty in a hard-fought clash in the Women’s Singles. Shrivalli Bhamidipaty and Rohan Bopanna responded strongly in the Mixed Doubles, though, winning 16-9 against Irina Bara and Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli.

In the Men’s Singles, Ramkumar Ramanathan got over the line with a 13-12 triumph against Dalibor Svrcina. Despite Dalibor Svrcina and Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli winning 15-10 against Rohan Bopanna and Ramkumar Ramanathan in the Men’s Doubles, SG Pipers secured a narrow 51-49 victory.

In the final game of the day, GS Delhi Aces, the table-toppers on Day Two, faced Gurgaon Grand Slammers. Sofia Costoulas defeated Sahaja Yamalapalli 16-9 in the Women’s Singles match. Sofia Costoulas and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan further extended GS Delhi Aces’ lead with a 15-10 win against Sahaja Yamalapalli and Sriram Balaji in the Mixed Doubles.

In the Men’s Singles, Dan Evans registered a hard-fought 13-12 victory against Billy Harris. To wrap up the action on day three, Dan Evans and Sriram Balaji secured a 14-11 win against Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Billy Harris. However, GS Delhi Aces came out on top with a 54-46 win.

The Tennis Premier League is Asia’s biggest tennis league, showcasing India’s top talent alongside international tennis stars. Supported by tennis legends like Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, and Mahesh Bhupathi (CEO of SG Pipers), along with Bollywood icons such as Rakul Preet Singh and Sonali Bendre Behl, TPL brings together sports, entertainment, and business leaders in a unique blend of competition and engagement.

–IANS

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