Hyderabad Strikers set to defend TPL Season 7 title
With Tennis Premier League Season 7 beginning in Ahmedabad on December 9, defending champions Hyderabad Strikers look to retain their crown with Pedro Martinez, Carole Monnet and Vishnu Vardhan. Eight teams will battle in TPL’s fast-paced, 100-point format through December 14.
HYDERABAD: With just a day to go for the much-awaited Tennis Premier League (TPL) Season 7, powered by Clear Premium Water, which will be held from 9th to 14th December at the Gujarat University Tennis Stadium in Ahmedabad, the eight teams are gearing up to go hammer and tongs to lift the coveted title. The upcoming edition, supported by the tennis legends including Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, and Mahesh Bhupathi, promises a high-voltage week of tennis as the franchises compete in TPL’s fast-paced and revolutionary format.
Each team will play five league matches from December 9 to 13, and the top four teams will advance to the semi-finals and final on the closing day on December 14. TPL’s unique format features four rounds in every match – Women’s Singles, Mixed Doubles, Men’s Singles and Men’s Doubles – each carrying 25 points, making every match worth 100 points in total.
Defending champions Hyderabad Strikers will hope to lift the trophy again with Spain’s Pedro Martinez, who is currently ranked No. 93. He will be joined by his compatriot from France Carole Monnet and returning from last season, India’s experienced doubles veteran Vishnu Vardhan.
SG Pipers will be spearheaded by India’s tennis icon and two-time Grand Slam champion Rohan Bopanna. Joining him will be India’s No.2 women’s singles player Shrivalli Bhamidipaty and Ramkumar Ramnathan.
Rajasthan Rangers will rely on the explosive World No. 26, Luciano Darderi from Italy alongside Russia’s Anastasia Gasanova and Dhakshineswar Suresh. Gurgaon Grand Slammers will bank on the experience of Britain’s Daniel Evans who has had a career-high rank of No. 21 in the world in 2023. He will share the court with India’s top-ranked female singles player Sahaja Yamalapalli and Sriram Balaji. Gujarat Panthers will be led by France’s World No. 42 Alexandre Muller with Italy’s Nuria Brancaccio and India’s Anirudh Chandrasekhar.
Bosnia’s former World No. 23 Damir Dzhumhur headlines the roster for Yash Mumbai Eagles alongside Burundi’s Sada Nahimana and Indian star Niki Poonacha. GS Delhi Aces will have Britain’s number 4 ranked tennis player Billy Harris, 20-year-old Belgian Sofia Costoulas and Indian southpaw Jeevan Nedunchezchiyan. Chennai Smashers will count on the promising The league will be available for live streaming on JioStar and will be broadcast on Sony Sports, making it the only sports league in the country to be available on both platforms.
Kunal Thakkur, Co-Founder of TPL, said that the level of competition this year was exceptional with players ranked in the ATP top 50 coming to Ahmedabad.
Mrunal Jain, Co-Founder, Tennis Premier League, said the season promised to be unforgettable.
