Abu Dhabi [UAE], December 23 : Game Changers Falcons clinched the World Tennis League Season 3 title with a hard-fought 20-16 victory over TSL Hawks at the iconic Etihad Arena on Sunday, according to a press release from the World Tennis League.
Despite losing the first two sets--women's doubles and women's singles--Game Changers Falcons staged a remarkable comeback, dominating the men's doubles and men's singles to claim the title in thrilling fashion.
In a rematch of the season opener, Game Changers Falcons' Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia started strongly, breaking the opening serve of the match against TSL Hawks' Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva. Despite their stellar performances during the league stage, Sabalenka and Andreeva appeared unsettled early on. However, they mounted an impressive comeback, recovering from a 0-5 deficit to level the score at 5-5. Rybakina and Garcia regained the lead by breaking serve again, but a series of unforced errors allowed their opponents to force a tie-break.
In the tie-break, Sabalenka and Andreeva once again trailed but displayed remarkable composure to turn the tables and clinch the women's doubles set 7-6.
Teenage sensation Andreeva carried her exceptional form into the women's singles against Rybakina. She broke Rybakina's second and third serves to gain the upper hand and comfortably closed out the set 6-2, extending TSL Hawks' overall lead to 13-8.
In the men's doubles, Game Changers Falcons' Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov dominated against TSL Hawks' Sumit Nagal and Jordan Thompson. They broke Nagal's serve twice to maintain their lead and sealed the set 6-2. This win narrowed the overall game tally to 14-15, setting the stage for a dramatic men's singles finale.
Riding his form, Rublev held his opening serve to level the overall game tally at 15-15 before winning three consecutive games to take an 18-15 lead, putting his team firmly in control. While Nagal managed to pull one game back, Rublev closed the men's singles set 6-1 in dominant fashion, helping his team secure the title with a 20-16 victory, marking a memorable conclusion to World Tennis League Season 3.
Addressing the media in a post-match press conference, Game Changers Falcons Coach and Captain, John-Laffnie de Jager, said: "I've done team events for a while, and I've been very fortunate over the years to have really good people on the team. They get along well, they're professional, they show up, and at the end of the day, they perform. The first time we played against the Hawks, we were behind; we came back from that point to win it, and the same happened tonight. The format is great because you are never out and always have a chance to win. It was an awesome campaign for us, and everybody enjoyed it," as quoted from the World Tennis League release.
Shapovalov added: "You always look for matches in the off-season, and a team event like the World Tennis League is the perfect way to check where your level is at. It was great to be alongside these players and win the competition."
Meanwhile, Garcia said: "In tennis, it's not very often you have an opportunity to play in a team set-up, and I really enjoyed it. I had a great time getting to know everyone on the team a bit better and look forward to more fun next year."
Rybakina reflected: "It's always amazing to play in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. I really enjoyed my time at the World Tennis League. Hopefully next year, it will be just as much fun," as quoted from the World Tennis League release.