The Hawks claim the World Tennis League title in Dubai

• Rybakina ends Swiatek’s perfect record on the final day 
• Auger-Aliassime Edges Past Zverev 
• Hawks Clinch Victory in Thrilling Doubles Battle 

Dubai: The Hawks celebrated Christmas Eve by becoming the World Tennis League winner, overcoming an adventurous challenge from The Kites by 32 games to 25. 

The trophy presentation was attended by His Excellency Nasser Aman Alrahma, Assistant Secretary-General of Dubai Sports Council, Mr. Nasser Al Marzouqi – Secretary General UAE Tennis Federation and His Excellency Dr. Aman Puri – Consulate General of India. Also present were World Tennis League founders Rajesh Banga and Amit Sharma, winners Hawks team owner Sanjay Bector and Kites team owners Nishant Pittie and Rikant Pittie. 

World number one Iga Swiatek had been the one to beat all week, and up until the final, she had not lost a set. But Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina rose magnificently to the challenge to claim a convincing 6-3 6-1 victory to put The Hawks into a commanding lead. It was arguably not as straight-forward as the score suggests though, especially in the opening set, as although Rybakina generated a 3-0 lead she was taken to deuce each time before winning her service games. 

Swiatek was able to level at 3-3 after breaking Rybakina’s serve at 3-1, but Swiatek has broken again when the umpire over-ruled that her ball had fallen long to leave her trailing 3-5. Rybakina was once again taken to deuce as she served out the set, claiming the advantage point on her serve for the third time. 

Rybakina then kept up the pressure on Swiatek as the second set got underway, breaking in the first game and winning the opening two games at love, before dominating the rest of a surprisingly one-sided contest. 

The Kites recovered ground when Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Alexander Zverev 6-4 6-3 in a keenly contested battle. The first eight games went with serve when Auger-Aliassime edged in front by breaking to lead 5-4. At 30-30 on Auger-Aliassime’s serve Zverev briefly paused play when he was concerned about a left ankle problem before disputing the outcome of the next point which left Auger-Aliassime to serve out the set. 

In the second set, Zverev soon found himself in trouble again when he was broken for 1-2 and he failed to convert a break point back for 2-2. Zverev continued to be under pressure as he had to fight back from 0-40 to hold for 3-4, but his resistance ended when Auger-Aliassime broke him for the third time in the match. 

The outcome then, at the end of six days of scintillating competition, came down to the mixed doubles, with Holger Rune and Sania Mirza (Kites) playing Dominic Thiem and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Hawks) for the title. Both Mirza and Pavlyuchenkova surrendered their first two services games in the first set before The Hawks edged the tiebreak 7-4, and just one break against Mirza in the fourth game decided the second set and confirmed The Hawks as the winner of the World Tennis League.

WORLD TENNIS LEAGUE FINAL 

Hawks 32 – 25 Kites 

Elena Rybakina (Hawks) def Iga Swiatek (Kites) 6-3 6-1 

Felix Auger-Aliassime (Kites) def Alexander Zverev (Hawks) 6-4 6-3 

Dominic Thiem/Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Hawks) def Holger Rune/Sania Mirza (Kites) 7-6 6-3