Japan Warriors beat UAE Royals 24-21 to record first IPTL win

New Delhi, Dec 10: Legendary Japan Warriors won their first match of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) with a 24-21 margin against OBI UAE Royals here on Thursday.

It was the Kobe-based team’s first win in six matches but still kept them at the bottom of the five-franchise league. The standings are headed by defending champions Indian Aces who has won three of the four matches.

Former World No.1 Ana Ivanovic gave Royals a four game advantage in the opening set of the contest in the women’s singles match, downing Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2 in 26 minutes.

Another Croatian Goran Ivanisevic took just 24 minutes to extend the lead to six with a 6-4 win against Thomas Enqvist of Sweden in the legend’s match.

Leander Paes and Pierre-Hugues Herbert reduced the arrears to three games with a 6-3 victory against Tomas Berdych and Daniel Nestor in men’s doubles in 22 minutes.

Herbert lessened the deficit to a set, after emerging victorious 6-4 against No.6 Berdych in the crucial men’s singles contest in 33 minutes.

The mixed doubles pair of Lucic-Baroni and Herbert then took over the mantle and secured the tie with a resounding 6-2 margin against Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic.