Coca-Cola IPTL: Manila Mavericks vs Singapore Slammers preview

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga will be looking to get back to winning ways

The Singapore Slammers will take on the Manila Mavericks in the first match of the third and final day of the India leg of the Coca-Cola Internationa Premier Tennis League (IPTL). The Slammers were beaten pretty comprehensively by the Indian Aces on Sunday, and are languishing at the bottom of the table with just 16 points to their name. They have won just two of the eight matches that they have played so far.

The Manila Mavericks, on the other hand, will be boosted by their win over the UAE Royals on Sunday. They have won four out of the eight games that they have played, and will be looking to strengthen their position in the table. With a win on Sunday afternoon, the Mavericks can inch closer to the leaders of the Happiness Open, the Indian Aces.

Men’s singles

Lleyton Hewitt will likely take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the men's singles set. The 2002 Wimbledon champion was convincingly beaten by Gael Monfils of the Indian Aces on Sunday, and will be looking to make amends for that loss against Monfils's countryman Tsonga.

On the other hand, the Frenchman would also be looking to get back to winning ways after losing to Marin Cilic for a second time in the tournament on Sunday. While Tsonga appears to have the edge on paper, you can never count out the Aussie’s fighting spirit.

Women's singles

Daniela Hantuchova will take on Kirsten Flipkens in the women's singles rubber. The Slovak lost to Ana Ivanovic in the singles on Sunday and will be looking to restore some confidence with a win on Monday.

Flipkens will be entering the game with some confidence of her own under her belt, after maintaining her composure in the last set against former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki to help the Mavericks get a crucial win on the board. Both these players like to change the pace of the rallies with down-the-line shots, so we can expect a highly creative set of tennis when they take the court.

Men's doubles

This could the most unpredictable set of the game, considering that both teams would be putting forth new pairs to play the set. For the Slammers, Tomas Berdych will partner Bruno Soares while Treat Huey, who has played with Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in the doubles, will have a new partner in Daniel Nestor.

It’s tought to say who is the favourite at this point, but Huey has surprised everyone with his performances so far, and he along with Nestor could end up being the steadier team out there.

Mixed doubles

The pair of Bruno Soares and Daniela Hantuchova was blanked 6-0 by the pair of Roger Federer and Sania Mirza on Sunday, and they will be looking to perform much better when they take on Kirsten Flipkens and Daniel Nestor in the mixed doubles.

The Mavericks pair are coming into the set on the back of a 6-2 win over Mladenovic and Zimonjic, and will be looking to keep their winning momentum going. But a smarting team that has suffered a bagel defeat is always dangerous, so this won’t necessarily be a straightforward affair for the Mavericks.

Legends’ singles

In the legends’ singles, Pat Rafter of the Slammers will be up against Carlos Moya or Mark Philippoussis of the Mavericks. The Australian will be coming into the match with plenty of confidence under his belt, after beating 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras on Sunday.

On the other hand, Moya has played only two games in the tournament thus far and has been more influencial as a coach for the Mavericks. Philloppoussis might feature again in case the Spaniard feels too rusty to start.

The Mavericks vs Slammers match is expected to carry on the entertainment from last night, and treat the Indian crowd to another day of high-quality tennis in the Coca-Cola IPTL.