The ATP & WTA seasons might be over, but tennis action is still on as star-studded teams – Kites and Eagles compete in the opening match of the inaugural edition of the World Tennis League on Monday.
Format
Each team will have a maximum of four players competing in a match. The mixed-gender exhibition tournament that is being held in the Middle East in Dubai will see each match being decided after the result of best-of-three contests involving one singles men’s match, one singles women’s match, and one mixed doubles match. There will be a 10-point tiebreak for the third set.
Kites
Kites have assembled a formidable team with the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Iga Swiatek spearheading the unit. The full team consists of – Felix Auger-Aliassime, Iga Swiatek, Holger Rune, Sania Mirza, and Eugenie Bouchard.
Swiatek is currently the world No. 1 in women’s tennis and will certainly be a force to reckon with. Auger-Aliassime had a fantabulous second half of the season and will look to get some early practice ahead of the 2023 Australian Open. Young and talented Holger Rune is also a fine player and has had a terrific season in 2022, winning the first two ATP titles in his career. Sania Mirza is a veteran and has been on the circuit for a very long time. She is a six-time Grand Slam champion and a former world No. 1 in doubles. Eugenie Bouchard is also an experienced campaigner who is trying to make a resurgence after injuries slowed her progress in recent times. The former world No. 5 will be one of the players to watch out for.
Eagles
The Eagles have an experienced team with stars like Nick Kyrgios and Caroline Garcia being the in-form players. There are other big names on the team as well. The team – Nick Kyrgios, Caroline Garcia, Bianca Andreescu, Rohan Bopanna, Andreas Seppi.
Nick Kyrgios had an impressive season in 2022 as he made it to the finals of a singles event at a Grand Slam for the first time at Wimbledon. He eventually lost to Novak Djokovic. The Australian star also won his first Grand Slam title earlier in the year at the doubles event in the Australian Open. Caroline Garcia got back to where she belonged by virtue of having a great season. The Frenchwoman overcame the loss of form in 2021 and won four titles during the year, including the WTA Finals. Bianca Andreescu is a fine player that has already achieved great success in a young career. She won the 2019 US Open and is a former world and No. 4. Rohan Bopanna is a legend in the doubles game. He has a wealth of experience and won the 2017 French Open title in the mixed doubles event. Andreas Seppi is a veteran who turned pro in 2002. He will bring truckloads of experience into the tournament.
The Matches
Holger Rune and Eugenie Bouchard vs Bianca Andreescu and Rohan Bopanna
This is going to be a fascinating contest as there is a great mixture of youth and experience in both teams. Rune’s flamboyance will be guided by the calmness of Bouchard while Andreescu will look to pick the brains of her partner who has truckloads of experience of playing mixed doubles tennis. The Canadian-Indian duo will be slight favorites to edge this match.
Iga Swiatek vs Caroline Garcia
This will be a great match to watch. Swiatek and Garcia are two players who have had stellar seasons this year. They met each other recently at the WTA Finals when the Polish youngster won the match comprehensively in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. Swiatek will be the favorite to win the match but expect it to be a humdinger.
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Nick Kyrgios
This will be another mouth-watering affair. The two players have performed exceedingly well this year and will look to continue in the same vein. The young Canadian is certainly the favorite heading into this match.
Overall Prediction: Kites to win 2-1.
More Tennis news
- Borna Coric 2022 – Net Worth, Salary, Records, and Endorsements
- Novak Djokovic’s brother makes Roger Federer promise ahead of Serbian Open
- Naomi Osaka responds to botching Jennifer Brady’s name after AO Open final win
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates
