World Tennis League: Medvedev’s Eagles beat Swiatek’s Hawks in super tiebreak

In the World Tennis League, if both teams have won the same number of games after the five matches – three doubles, two singles – fans are entitled to something extra: a super tiebreak, which counts for three points, extending the last singles. And, for the third time, it happened on Friday.

After the Falcons had beaten the Hawks in a thriller on Thursday, and the Kites had beaten the Falcons on Friday afternoon, the Eagles put the Hawks through their paces in the evening. Trailing 16-15 after doubles, they finally pocketed the 31-28 victory thanks to Sofia Kenin and Daniil Medvedev in singles, pitted against Caroline Garcia and Hubert Hurkacz respectively.

Singles:

Medvedev (Eagles) b. Hurkacz (Hawks) : 6-7 (4), 10-4 (28-28, 38-32 after super tiebreak)
Kenin (Eagles) b. Garcia (Hawks) : 7-5 (Eagles lead 22-21)

Doubles:

Swiatek / Hurkacz (Hawks) b. Andreeva / Rublev (Eagles) : 6-2 (Hawks lead 16-15)
Andreeva / Kenin (Eagles) b. Swiatek / Garcia (Hawks) : 6-4 (Eagles lead 13-10)
Medvedev / Rublev (Eagles) b. Hurkacz / Ruud (Hawks) : 7-6 (1) (Eagles lead 7-6)

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Kenin beats Garcia

It was a good day’s work for Sofia Kenin. Having lost both her matches on Thursday – in women’s and mixed doubles – the American posted a 100 per cent win rate on Friday for the second day of the World Tennis League. After her success with Mirra Andreeva over Iga Swiatek and Caroline Garcia, the 2020 Australian Open winner defeated the Frenchwoman in the singles, thanks to a break at 5-5, 40-40 – and with a winning return.

“I think we both played a high level of tennis,” said Kenin during the on-court interview. “I’m very happy to have won for my team. The atmosphere is great in the team, we get on very well, we all support each other.”

As for Garcia, she suffered her fourth defeat in as many matches since the start of the exhibition tournament. Before her two defeats on Friday, she had lost both the women’s and mixed doubles on Thursday.

Medvedev wins in super tiebreak

It is now three wins out of four for Daniil Medvedev. After a victory in the men’s doubles and a defeat in the mixed doubles on Thursday, the world No 3 emerged victorious from his two matches on Friday. Having defeated the duo of Hurkacz and Casper Ruud earlier in the day alongside compatriot Andrey Rublev, Medvedev returned to the court to defeat the Pole in the singles.

Although he managed a break from the outset, Medvedev lost his advantage in the very next game. After that, he didn’t concede a single break point and went on to set up four more. Three of these, at 6-5, 15-40, were match points (no advantage in WTL, the tiebreak rule), but his opponent saved them with three winners: an ace and two forehand winners.

Beaten by an impeccable Pole on serve in the tiebreak, Medvedev tightened up his game in the super tiebreak, leading 6-2 and then 9-3 before closing the deal two points later.

With this success, the Eagles have one win and one loss, as have the Falcons. The Kites lead the way thanks to their two wins in two games, while the Hawks, beaten twice in two days, close the gap. The top two finishers in the group phase, which ends on Saturday, will meet in the final on Sunday.

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