Delhi: Tennis fans in Delhi enjoyed an ace evening, as the home team got off to a terrific start at the IGI Stadium. With tennis superstar Rafael Nadal at the helm of affairs complimented ably by the Indian mixed doubles pair of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, and Agnieszka Radwanka making her IPTL debut too, the evening ended with a perfect score for the Indian Aces at the end of day one’s play.

Match Summary:

- Mirza/Bopanna won the opening set convincingly 6-2 over the first-time pairing of Tomljanovic/Huey for the Mavericks

- In the women’s singles, Radwanska, making her debut in the IPTL, had a short stint on the court, wrapping it up 6-1 against JarmilaGajdosova

- Magician Santoro showcased his vintage magic to Delhi fans, against an out-of-rhythm Philippoussis taking the set 6-1

- Taking the court amidst a loud uproar, Nadal/Bopanna put up a great fight against Roger-Vasselin/Huey; their clever shot-making winning it for the Aces yet again with a score of 6-4

- In the showcase match of the evening, Rafael Nadal showcased his tennis superiority over Edouard Roger-Vasselin closing out the set 6-4

What the Players said:

Rafael Nadal: “The IPTL is a great format, everything is so quick, and anything can happen. It’s great to play at home, in front of home fans, and definitely the home advantage helps the team to win. The tennis in IPTL is so competitive, it’s a tough match, everyone wants to win and the tennis is of high quality. I enjoy this format of tennis, its perfect for the IPTL!”

“For me, this time of the year, it is great to be here, it’s the perfect match practise. I am training hard, and I get to play some competitive matches against some good players. If I wasn’t here, I would be training in Mallorca, so it is great to be here.”

“I am happy to be here in India, the people are so friendly, the energy is terrific. I also have my centre here in Anantapur. Earlier in the day today I enjoyed a clinic with children which was nice.”

On the big match-up with Federer coming up on Saturday, he said “I will give it my best. The format is so quick, and everything moves so fast, but I am looking forward to playing against Federer on Saturday!”

Match Scores: