Abu Dhabi, Dec 20 (NationPress) The Game Changers Falcons claimed their second straight victory in the World Tennis League Season 3, narrowly beating the Kites with a score of 24-21 at the prestigious Etihad Arena on Friday. This win propelled the Falcons to the top of the points table on Day 2 with a total of 53 points. The TSL Hawks, who also won earlier that day, finished in second place with 47 points, followed by the Kites in third with 46 points, and the HonorFX Eagles in fourth with 34 points.

In the women's doubles, Simona Halep and Jasmine Paolini got off to a fiery start for the Kites, breaking the serve of Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia right from the first game, jumping to a 2-0 lead after a strong opening serve. The Game Changers Falcons' pair took some time to find their rhythm but not only equalized the score but also surged ahead to a 5-3 lead.

The Kites rallied back, winning two consecutive games to tie it at 5-5, eventually pushing the set into a tiebreak after a 6-6 deadlock. Despite an early setback, Rybakina and Garcia kept their cool to take the set 7-6, giving the Game Changers Falcons a slight edge.

In the women's singles, Rybakina maintained control throughout the set, forcing Halep to play catch-up. Rybakina comfortably closed the set 6-4, extending the Game Changers Falcons’ overall advantage to 13-10.

The mixed doubles showdown between Caroline Garcia and Denis Shapovalov versus Jasmine Paolini and Nick Kyrgios was closely contested. However, it was Paolini and Kyrgios who prevailed, breaking serve after a 5-5 tie and holding their serve to secure the set 7-6, bringing the overall score to 17-18 in favor of the Kites.

In the decisive set of the match, Game Changers Falcons' standout from the season opener, Andrey Rublev, continued his impressive form by breaking Kyrgios' serve to lead 4-2. Although Kyrgios narrowed the gap, Rublev showed tenacity, closing the set 6-4 and ensuring his team's second consecutive win this season.

Earlier on Friday, the TSL Hawks defeated the HonorFX Eagles with a score of 21-14 in match 3 of the tournament.

Commenting on the match, Kyrgios stated, "Every game counts in the World Tennis League. When you look at the statistics, it doesn’t matter if a match seems lopsided—you want to fight for your team, and I love that. For me, this is the perfect return because it’s not overwhelming, just the right amount of tennis. I also love the mixed doubles format, you get to see your favourite male and female players competing together on the same team. I never imagined seeing myself and Paolini on the same court, on the same side of the net, and that is really cool to witness."