Coca-Cola IPTL: UAE Royals vs Singapore Slammers preview

Will Ivanisevic be able to get the better of Pat Rafter for the third time in a row?

The Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League has reached India, and the excitement levels have gone through the roof. Indian tennis fans are finally going to get to see the world’s best tennis players play right in front of their eyes at the Indira Gandhi Indoor stadium in New Delhi.

The first match of the Indian leg of the IPTL is between the UAE Royals and the Singapore Slammers. Novak Djokovic will only feature on the last day of the India leg and will kick off his IPTL campaign on 8th December against Roger Federer. UAE Royals are currently in second place in the standings while Singapore Slammers are fourth.

Note: The order of play will be known 45 minutes before the start of the match.

Men’s singles: Marin Cilic vs Lleyton Hewitt

Marin Cilic is coming into the match on the back of a tough loss against Tomas Berdych in his previous encounter in Singapore, having lost the set 6-4 to the World No. 6. He will look to make things right when he comes up against Lleyton Hewitt, who has not played much of singles in the tournament so far.

Cilic will have an edge over the Australian because of his recent form and fitness levels. Nevertheless, it will be an exciting game to kick-start the Indian leg of the IPTL, with the current US Open champion facing a former US Open champion.

Women’s singles: Caroline Wozniacki vs Daniela Hantuchova

Caroline Wozniacki made her debut in UAE’s previous match against the Slammers, when she lost a close set to World No. 1 Serena Williams. With Williams sitting out this encounter, Wozniacki will be up against Daniela Hantuchova, who did not have much playing time in Singapore.

The Dane has been in superb form over the past month, which will give her the advantage against the Slovak. The fans are in for a cracking set of women’s tennis with the two superb ball-strikers in action.

Men’s doubles: Cilic/Zimonjic vs Berdych/Hewitt

Cilic and Zimonjic are only just finding their rhythm, having defeated Hewitt and Kyrgios 6-4 in their previous encounter in Singapore. This time around, Kyrgios is going to be replaced by Tomas Berdych who is unbeaten so far in the tournament.

On the other hand, Cilic and doubles specialist Zimonjic will look to continue their winning run, and fans can expect it to be an exciting encounter between these four world-class players.

Mixed doubles: Wozniacki/Zimonjic vs Hantuchova/Soares

The previous mixed doubles encounter between Singapore and UAE saw the Slammers come out on top. But it could be a different story this time around with three different players playing this set.

Caroline Wozniacki will team up with Nenad Zimonjic for the Royals, while Hantuchova will join hands with reigning US Open mixed doubles champion Bruno Soares. It is going to be a tough game for the Royals as they will up against two experienced mixed doubles specialists, and Wozniacki in particular will have her work cut out.

Legends’ singles: Goran Ivanisevic vs Pat Rafter

This rivalry just keeps getting better and better. These two legends have played each other twice in the tournament already, with Goran Ivanisevic beating the Australian both times in closely fought encounters. They enthralled the fans at Singapore and Manila with their amazing skills, and promise to do the same in India.

Will Ivanisevic be able to beat his Wimbeldon 2001 rival for a third consecutive time? Let's wait and watch.