Game Changers Falcons soar high at World Tennis League

Game Changers Falcons secured their second consecutive victory in World Tennis League Season 3 as they edged past Kites 24-21 at the iconic Etihad Arena on Friday.

With this win, the Falcons finished Day 2 atop the table with a total of 53 points. TSL Hawks, who also claimed a win earlier in the day, ended in second place with 47 points, followed by Kites in third with 46 points, and HonorFX Eagles in fourth with 34 points.

In the women’s doubles, Simona Halep and Jasmine Paolini made an explosive start for the Kites, breaking the serve of Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia in the very first game and surged to a 2-0 lead after a clean opening serve. However, Game Changers Falcons’ duo took some time to settle and not only leveled the score but marched ahead to lead 5-3.

The Kites fought back, as they won two consecutive games to make it 5-5 and eventually pushed the set into a tiebreak after a 6-6 deadlock. Despite an early deficit, Rybakina and Garcia maintained composure to clinch the set 7-6, giving Game Changers Falcons a narrow lead.

In the women’s singles, Rybakina didn’t allow Halep to settle in. She led the entire set leaving Halep having to catch up. Rybakina closed the set 6-4 comfortably to extend Game Changers Falcons’ overall lead to 13-10.

The mixed doubles clash between Caroline Garcia and Denis Shapovalov and Jasmine Paolini and Nick Kyrgios was an evenly contested affair. However, it was Paolini and Kyrgios who got the better of Garcia and Shapovalov, as they broke after a 5-5 deadlock and held their serve to clinch the set 7-6. Their victory narrowed the overall score to 17-18 in favor of the Kites.

In the showdown set of the match, Game Changers Falcons’ hero from the season opener Andrey Rublev continued his fine form as he broke Kyrgios’ serve to lead 4-2. Kyrgios did narrow the margin, but Rublev showcased determination to close the set 6-4 and help his team secure second consecutive win of the season.

Speaking about the game, Kyrgios said, “Every game counts in the World Tennis League. When you look at the statistics, it doesn’t matter if a match seems lopsided—you want to fight for your team, and I love that. For me, this is the perfect return because it’s not overwhelming, just the right amount of tennis. I also love the mixed doubles format, you get to see your favorite male and female players competing together on the same team. I never imagined seeing myself and Paolini on the same court, on the same side of the net, and that is really cool to witness.”

Earlier, TSL Hawks defeated HonorFX Eagles 21-14 in match 3 of the competition.

India’s top singles player Sumit Nagal came up with a fine performance in doubles as TSL Hawks, after a dramatic Super Shootout loss in the opener, bounced back in style.

Just like the opening day, Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva showcased excellent coordination in the women’s doubles, dominating the set against HonorFX Eagles’ Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa. Sabalenka and Andreeva surged to a massive 5-0 lead, pushing their opponents on the backfoot. Although the Eagles managed to hold serve to pull a game back, Sabalenka and Andreeva swiftly closed out the set 6-1, giving the TSL Hawks a crucial advantage in the match as they delivered a clinical performance.

Sabalenka carried her momentum into the women’s singles against Badosa, delivering a commanding performance to win the set 6-2. Her victory further extended the TSL Hawks’ overall lead to 12-3.

In the men’s doubles, Alexander Shevchenko and Stefanos Tsitsipas secured an early break for the HonorFX Eagles in the third game. However, TSL Hawks’ Sumit Nagal and Jordan Thompson responded immediately, breaking back to level the score and taking a 4-2 lead. The Eagles fought back to tie it at 4-4, but Nagal and Thompson stayed composed, closing out the set 6-4 to maintain TSL Hawks’ dominant lead over the HonorFX Eagles.

In the crucial set of the match (men’s singles), Shevchenko began strongly, securing a break in the third game and establishing a commanding 5-1 lead. Although Nagal managed to pull one game back, Shevchenko closed out the set 6-2 and pushed the match into Over Time.

However, Shevchenko had a mammoth task to equalise the overall score from 13-20 in order to take the game into the Shootout and help his team earn bonus points. He started the OT positively, winning the first game, but Nagal survived and helped his team secure a classy 21-14, clinching their first win of the season.