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By Chris Oddo | Monday, December 8, 2014



Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic brought the New Delhi leg of IPTL tennis to a close with a heated battle in the final men’s singles match on Monday evening, with Federer winning the set in a “shootout.”

More IPTL: Federer Says League "Has Place in Tennis"  | Monfils' Miracle | Monfils Leaves Jaziri on Seat of Pants | Kyrgios Throws 'Tweener over Murray

The Djokovic-led UAE Royals won the overall, by the score of 29-22, but this amazing sky-hook overhead by Roger Federer stole the show, brought the crowd to a frenzy and even got Ana Ivanovic to bow down in front of the Maestro.

Federer, for the second consecutive day, played mixed, doubles and singles, but he couldn’t manage a sweep on Monday, as he and Sania Mirza fell in the mixed, 6-2, to Kristina Mladenovic and Nenad Zimonjic.

Federer and Gael Monfils—how’s that for an all-star doubles combo?—would edge Djokovic and Zimonjic in the doubles, but it wouldn’t be enough to propel Federer’s Indian Aces to victory.

But no matter, the score really hasn’t been important during the first three stops of the inaugural IPTL season. It’s been more about the selfies, the hot shots, and the star-studded good vibes that that the event has facilitated in venues that haven’t seen tennis at this level ever before.

Federer’s mesmerizing overhead, and the cacophonous celebration that ensued, is exactly the thing that has made the IPTL perfect for this time of year (goes hand-in-hand with holiday parties, right?). After a long season of nit-picking over results and scratching and clawing for ranking points and titles, it’s nice for both players and fans to relax and revel in a bit of the glitz and glamour that today’s tennis players can provide.

They haven’t disappointed, and while many (fans and writers, mostly) seem resistant to and put off by the very nature of the IPTL—less serious tennis played at the expense of much-needed rest and rehabilitation time (otherwise known as an off-season, which apparently does not exist in tennis)—there is no denying the importance of Asia as a growth point for modern tennis, just as there is no denying that pretty much everybody involved has been having a wonderful time.

Like it or not, the IPTL has passed its inaugural test with flying colors. If the checks don’t bounce (based on the ticket prices it's unlikely), it will be back in 2015, and with even more hype.



 

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