Aces, Slammers take openers

MANILA, Philippines – The Micromax Indian Aces hacked out a tough 25-24 victory over newcomer the Legendari Japan Warriors while the OUE Singapore Slammers edged the Philippine Mavericks, 26-24, at the start of the Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League at the Kobe World Hall in Kobe, Japan yesterday.

The Indian Aces, the inaugural champions, bounced back from losses in mixed doubles and women’s singles with victories in the men’s legends singles and men’s doubles to turn back the Maria Sharapova-led Japan Warriors and pull off the one-point victory late Wednesday.

Sharapova teamed up with Pierre-Hugues Herbert to nip Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, 6-5, in the mixed doubles then held off Samantha Stosur, 6-4, in women’s singles. But the Aces’ Fabrice Santoro dominated Marat Safin, 6-2, in the men’s legends singles, 6-2, and Gael Monfils and Bopanna repulsed crowd favorite Kei Nishikori and Herbert in the men’s doubles, 6-4, to seize the lead in the unique country-hopping event which gathers the Grand Slam champions and top-ranked stars, both past and present.

The OBI UAE Royals, on the other hand, blasted the Singapore Slammers, 26-20, on victories by Ana Ivanovic over Belinda Bencic, 6-3 (women’s singles); Tomas Berdych and Daniel Nestor over Marcelo Melo and Dustin Brown, 6-5 (men’s doubles); Kristina Mladenovic and Nestor over Marcelo Melo and Karolina Pliskova, 6-3 (mixed doubles); and Goran Ivanisevic over Carlos Moya, 6-3 (men’s legends singles).

Nick Kyrgios averted a shutout loss for Singapore with a 6-2 romp over Tomas Berdych in the men’s singles.

But the Slammers rebounded with a two-point victory over the Mavericks as Karolina Pliskova humbled Serena Williams, 6-4, in women’s singles; Melo and Belinda Bencic thwarted Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Jarmila Gajdosova, 6-4, in mixed doubles; and Nick Kyygios downed Milos Raonic, 6-4, in men’s singles.