Aces lose to Royals but still IPTL champs

(This post also appears on ManilaMavericks.net)

MANILA, Philippines – Host team Musafir.com UAE Royals trashed the Micromax Indian Aces in the final match of the inaugural International Premier Tennis League, but the effort  proved to be too little and too late as the Aces were declared the champs of the tilt.

The lopsided 29-15 win of the Royals was not enough to dislodge the Aces as the scoreboard leaders, with total points of 39. The Royals meanwhile ended with 37 points after 12 days of competition.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the Aces’ top card, gave Gael Monfils a beating, 6-0 in the final set of the match.

Only the first set was won by the Aces with Ana Ivanovic, outlasting Kristina Mladenovic, 6-5.

From then on, the Royals took the driver’s seat with Nenad Zimonjic and Mladenovic beating Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza, 6-2.

Zimonjic then partnered with Goran Ivanisevic to continue the onslaught against Monfils and Cedric Pioline in the third set, 6-2.

Ivanisevic also escaped with the fourth set, prevailing over Pioline, 6-5.