TSL Hawks Triumph Over Kites 20-17 in World Tennis League; Set to Face Game Changers Falcons in Final
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Abu Dhabi, Dec 21 (NationPress) TSL Hawks claimed a hard-fought victory in the last league stage match, defeating Kites 20-17 during the World Tennis League Season 3 at the renowned Etihad Arena on Saturday, securing their spot in the final. With this win, the TSL Hawks attained the second position in the standings with a total of 67 points, and they are set to challenge the top team, Game Changers Falcons, who concluded the league stage with 68 points. Despite an earlier loss, the Game Changers Falcons made it to the final due to their consistent performance throughout the tournament.
Kites finished in third place with 63 points, while HonorFX Eagles, who achieved their first win earlier that day, wrapped up the season in fourth with 54 points. Notably, the Game Changers Falcons and TSL Hawks had previously faced off in the season's inaugural match.
During the match on Saturday, TSL Hawks' Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva showcased their strong form with an impressive start in the women’s doubles, racing to a 4-0 lead. Although the Kites' duo of Simona Halep and Jasmine Paolini managed to break their serve and secure a game, Sabalenka and Andreeva quickly regained their dominance, sealing the set 6-1.
Younger star Andreeva continued her momentum with a brilliant performance against Paolini in the women’s singles, breaking Paolini's third serve to take a 3-2 lead and maintaining control to win the set 6-4. In the men’s doubles, Nick Kyrgios and Casper Ruud broke Sumit Nagal and Jordan Thompson to love, initially leading 2-1. While Nagal and Thompson quickly equalized with a break, their opponents regained the advantage, closing the set 6-4 and narrowing the overall score to 11-16.
In the men’s singles, Casper Ruud broke Nagal's second serve, seizing a 4-1 lead. Despite Nagal's resilience, he trailed as Ruud finished the set 6-3, bringing the overall score to 17-19 in favor of the Kites.
In Over Time, Nagal held his serve, securing a 20-17 victory over Kites and a spot in the finals of the tournament.
After the match, Nagal expressed, "Any final is good, it doesn’t matter what type of format you are playing. I think everyone’s playing well, everyone’s happy with the way we have been performing. Tomorrow, it will be just another day, another set."
His teammate Thompson added, “We are here to win. We have got a great team, it’s been an incredible campaign so far, and we would like to continue the momentum.”
