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Royals run through Slammers

The sizeable crowd at the Indian Gandhi indoor stadium got the first-hand taste of the fast-paced format made for creating its own space on the busy tennis calendar. Also in attendance was former India cricket cricketer Sunil Gavaskar.

World number nine Marin Cilic, playing the opening men’s singles, delighted the spectators with his power-packed game that made him the 2014 US Open champion. He proved to be too good for Singapore’s Lleyton Hewitt, the former world number one who looked way past his prime. Cilic then partnered doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic to beat the Australian combine of Nick Kyrgios and Hewitt 6-2. It was a tad surprising the team did not choose the younger Kyrgios to play the men’s singles.

Next was a fun match between two retired Grand Slam champions, Goran Ivanisevic taking on Patrick Rafter in the past champions singles. Representing UAE, Ivanisevic, 43, did not put a foot wrong against his equally famed opponent, to win the set 6-1. The Croat engaged with the crowd every time he served the trademark ace of his hey days. The mixed doubles saw UAE’s Zimonjic and Kristina Mladenovic getting past Hantuchova and Kyrgios 6-4. 63rd-ranked Hantuchova pulled off a consolation win for Singapore by surprising world number eight Caroline Wozniacki 6-5.
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