Rafael Nadal of Indian Aces plays a shot against Roger Federer of the UAE Royals during the IPTL match in New Delhi on Saturday. AFPNew Delhi: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer produced an exhilarating display of quality tennis with the 'Man from Mallorca' having the last laugh on what turned out to be a blockbuster conclusion to the International Premier Tennis League's India leg, here on Saturday.
Nadal-led defending champions Indian Aces maintained their stranglehold on the championship with a comfortable 30-19 win over Federer's UAE Royals.
More than 10,000 fans turned up to watch the much-awaited contest between the two greats of the game and it was Nadal who emerged as the clear crowd favourite as well representing the local team.
The 'King of Clay', clearly enjoying the adulation, smiled and waved at the adoring fans who shouted their lungs out chanting "Rafa......Rafa".
The crowds stayed away from the matches on the first two days, but came out in good numbers to watch the two superstars of the game.
Nadal broke the Swiss legend in the first game with a backhand winner and served out the next game at love to take a 2-0 lead. Federer broke back in the fourth game, with his stunning single-handed backhand shots enthralling the crowd.
Nadal broke the Swiss again in the fifth game in which the chair umpire forgot that there is no LET rule in the IPTL and asked the players to replay the point when Federer's serve touched the net.
By the time he realised his mistake the players from the two teams had started making fun of him. Amid raucous laughter, the official had no choice, but to put hands on his head and acknowledge the slip.
Once the match re-started, Nadal led 4-2 with another hold. Federer served a double fault to hand two match points to Nadal. He saved both and also won the deciding point on deuce to stretch the set.
The Spaniard went 0-30 down serving for the set and the crowd went berserk, now rallying behind the Swiss. Nadal saved the first break point, but hit a forehand error in the second and it all boiled down to a shootout.
Nadal led 5-1, but Federer rallied to take three points in a row to reduce the margin to 5-4 in some heart-stopping action. Nadal eventually won when Federer hit an unforced error as the Spaniard raised his hands in celebration.
Earlier, Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza yet again provided lead to the defending champions, but they were tested before prevailing 6-4 against a fighting combination of Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic.
It could have gone to a shootout with Bopanna facing two breakpoints while serving for the set but he managed to hold, closing it in his side's favour.
World No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska thrashed Kristina Mladenovic 6-2 in the women's singles to help the Indian team take a healthy 12-6 lead.
The legends singles between Fabrice Santoro and Goran Ivanisevic was a humdinger. Santoro's never-say-die spirit, fight for each and every point coupled with some stunning winners past the dashing Croat made it a contest to watch. It boiled down to a shootout in which the Frenchman prevailed 6-5 (7-4).
All three matches were won by the Indian Aces and they grabbed an eight-point lead.
In came four players for the men's doubles and three of them Federer (17), Nadal (14), Marin Cilic (1) had 32 Grand Slam titles among them.
It was 3-3 with none of the two pairs even conceding an inch. Indian Aces drew the first blood. Federer was down 0-40 as Bopanna created two stunning winners from difficult angles and made unreachable return, hitting with power and precision. Royals fought back to make it deuce, but Bopanna and Nadal took the game.
The home side capitalised on lead, took the set 6-4 and an assailable 24-14 lead. Even if Federer was to bagel Nadal in the final showdown, India had sealed the contest.
The IPTL jamboree now moves to Dubai after a one-day break on Sunday.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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