Mumbai, Dec 7 (NationPress) Mukund Sasikumar outperformed Benjamin Lock to lead the Punjab Patriots to victory against the Hyderabad Strikers, advancing them into the top four of the Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 6, which is now approaching its decisive stages with qualifying slots to be contested this Saturday.

The second match of the day saw the Rajasthan Rangers and Bengaluru SG Pipers engage in a fiercely contested tie, resulting in all eight teams vying for qualification in the tournament held at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai.

In the first match, the Punjab Patriots faced a rocky beginning against the Hyderabad Strikers, losing the Women's Singles as Harriet Dart continued her remarkable run, defeating Elina Avanesyan with a score of 16-9.

However, the Punjab Patriots rallied as Mukund Sasikumar overcame Benjamin Lock, achieving victory with a score of 18-7 in the Men's Singles category. In the Mixed Doubles, Harriet Dart and Vishnu Vardhan from the Hyderabad Strikers outplayed Elina Avanesyan and Saketh Myneni of Punjab Patriots, winning 14-11.

As the score was tightly contested with just one point between the teams, the Men's Doubles became crucial. Mukund Sasikumar and Saketh Myneni of the Punjab Patriots clinched a narrow 13-12 victory over Vishnu Vardhan and Benjamin Lock from the Hyderabad Strikers. In the end, the Punjab Patriots triumphed with a total score of 51-49 against the Hyderabad Strikers.

In the day's second match, the Rajasthan Rangers faced off against the Bengaluru SG Pipers. Gabriela Knutson from Bengaluru SG Pipers defeated Cristina Dinu 14-11 in an exciting Women's Singles showdown. Arthur Fery of Rajasthan Rangers secured a thrilling 13-12 win against Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the Men's Singles.

During the Mixed Doubles, Anirudh Chandrasekar and Gabriela Knutson of Bengaluru SG Pipers triumphed over Rohan Bopanna and Cristina Dinu from Rajasthan Rangers by 13-12. In the Men's Doubles, Rohan Bopanna and Arthur Fery battled hard to defeat Bernabe Zapata Miralles and Anirudh Chandrasekhar with a score of 14-11. The match concluded in a tie, with both teams finishing with 50 points, marking the first tie of the season in the Tennis Premier League.

As Day Five progresses, the Hyderabad Strikers have reclaimed the top position in the standings with 260 points, reinforcing their chances for a qualification spot. The Rajasthan Rangers are currently in second place with 255 points, followed closely by the Punjab Patriots in third with 249 points. The Bengaluru SG Pipers round out the top four with 248 points.

Later on Saturday, the Yash Mumbai Eagles will compete against the Bengal Wizards. In the final match of the day, Sumit Nagal’s Gujarat Panthers will face off against Hugo Gaston’s Chennai Smashers, with qualification spots set to be confirmed by the day’s end.