World Tennis League starts off on a cheerful note

A sports exhibition is a double-edged sword. There is a certain detachment that it maintains from fierce competition, which a purist may liken to trivialising. But it also brings a sport closer to an audience, otherwise starved of watching its favourite players in flesh and blood.

The opening day of the fourth edition of the World Tennis League at the S.M. Krishna Stadium here was a mix of everything. The quality was a couple of notches below elite level, but there was fun and frolic, keeping the sizeable crowd bubbling. There was also a sprinkling of stardust, with the most high-profile visitor being the legendary Kapil Dev.

Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev with celebrities on the sidelines of the World Tennis League.
| Photo Credit:
K. MURALI KUMAR

It helped that three of the biggest showmen in tennis were in action — Nick Kyrgios, Daniil Medvedev and Gael Monfils.

Kyrgios bounced with energy, rising from his chair in the dugout at every opportunity. Atone point, chair umpire John Blom even admonished him. “Nick, please go sit,” he said, and his fellow Aussie quietly walked back – quite ironically – like a well-behaved schoolkid.

Medvedev and Monfils played the last match of the evening, ensuring that fans had a rollicking finish. Once, Monfils even overruled his coach’s call for a time-out, endearing himself to the supporters even more.

India’s Dhakshineshwar Suresh gave a good account of himself, staying with Canadian World No. 23 Denis Shapovalov for large tracts of his tie.

The one blemish on Wednesday came right at the beginning when play had to be stopped after a section of fans protested because the abnormally high players’ entry tunnel was blocking their view. Tennis resumed when they were moved behind the server’s arm, a vantage position they were only too thrilled to occupy.

The results: VB Realty Hawks 25 bt Aussie Mavericks Kites 21 (Elina Svitolina & Maaya Rajeshwaran bt Marta Kostyuk & Ankita Raina 7-5; Svitolina bt Kostyuk 7-5; Denis Shapovalov & Yuki Bhambri lost to Nick Kyrgios & Dhakshineshwar Suresh 4-6; Shapovalov bt Dhakshineshwar 7-5).

AOS Eagles 18 bt Game Changers Falcons 16 (Paula Badosa lost to Magda Linette 4-6; Sumit Nagal & Badosa bt Rohan Bopanna & Linette 6-1; Gael Monfils & Nagal lost to Daniil Medvedev & Bopanna 2-6; Monfils bt Medvedev 6-3).