TPL 7: GS Delhi Aces register biggest win of season; join SG Pipers, Mumbai Eagles, Rajasthan Rangers in semis (Ld)
Ahmedabad, 13 December – The Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 7 saw the GS Delhi Aces secure the most lopsided victory of the year, clinching a spot in the semis alongside the SG Pipers, Yash Mumbai Eagles and Rajasthan Rangers. The action unfolded at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium on the penultimate day of play.
In the first semifinal, GS Delhi Aces will go up against the Rajasthan Rangers, while the SG Pipers take on Yash Mumbai Eagles. With the defending champions, Hyderabad Strikers, knocked out, the title will be on the line again on Sunday.
The opening match featured the Rajasthan Rangers and Chennai Smashers. Ekaterina Kazionova edged Irina Bara 13‑12 in Women’s Singles, giving the Rangers a promising start. In Mixed Doubles, Kazionova partnered with Dhakshineswar Suresh to defeat Bara and Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli 14‑11. Luciano Darderi, ranked 26th worldwide, dominated Dalibor Svrcina 15‑10 in Men’s Singles. Meanwhile, Svrcina and Bollipalli took a 14‑11 win over Darderi and Suresh in Mixed Doubles, but the Rajasthan Rangers still finished 53‑47 ahead.
Next up, the league leaders GS Delhi Aces continued their strong form, beating Gujarat Panthers. Sofia Costoulas won her Women’s Singles match 18‑7 against Nuria Brancaccio and then teamed up with Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan to beat Brancaccio and Anirudh Chandrasekar 15‑10 in Mixed Doubles. Billy Harris captured a tight 13‑12 victory over world No. 42 Alexandre Müller; together with Nedunchezhiyan, they wrapped up a 16‑9 win against Müller and Chandrasekar, giving GS Delhi Aces a 62‑38 triumph – the biggest margin in the season.
The third fixture matched Gurgaon Grand Slammers with Yash Mumbai Eagles. Sahaja Yamalapalli outplayed Riya Bhatia 14‑11 in Women’s Singles. Bhatia and Niki Poonacha then bounced back to take the Mixed Doubles 15‑10 against Yamalapalli and Sriram Balaji. In Men’s Singles, Damir Dzumhur bested Dan Evans 15‑10, and Dzumhur teamed with Poonacha to secure a decisive 17‑8 win over Evans and Balaji, allowing the Eagles to finish 58‑42 ahead.
The day’s final ties featured SG Pipers versus Hyderabad Strikers. Shrivalli Bhamidipaty edged Carole Monnet 13‑12 in Women’s Singles and then paired with Rohan Bopanna to win 15‑10 over Monnet and Vishnu Vardhan in Mixed Doubles. Ramkumar Ramanathan delivered a 15‑10 win over Bernabe Zapata in Men’s Singles and then, alongside Bopanna, captured a 14‑11 victory, giving SG Pipers a 57‑43 win.
With these results, four teams have secured semifinal berths, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion on Sunday as a new TPL champion will be named. bsk/
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