Elena Rybakina, Dominic Thiem, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Alexander Zverev competed for the Hawks at the inaugural World Tennis League in Dubai. The Hawks defeated the Kites in the final to lift the trophy. Elena Rybakina played at a high level and beat world no.
1 Iga Swiatek 6-3, 6-1. In the men’s singles, Felix Auger-Aliassime kept the Kites alive with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Alexander Zverev. In the decisive match, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Dominic Thiem defeated Sania Mirza and Holger Rune 6-3, 7-6 to secure the title for their team.
Auger-Aliassime and Zverev met for the first time since the Madrid Masters, with the German returning from an injury. Felix overpowered Alexander in Dubai, serving at 80% and controlling the pace in his games. Zverev struggled on the second serve and got broken three times from nine chances offered to his opponent to finish on the losing side.
Alexander held at 30 in the encounter’s first game, and Felix leveled the score at 1-1 after the rival’s backhand error.
Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Alexander Zverev in Dubai.
Zverev secured the third game with a backhand winner and created a break chance in the next one.
Felix fired a forehand down the line winner to save it and avoid an early setback. Alexander closed the fifth game at love, and his rival responded with a service winner a few minutes later for 3-3. The Canadian extended the seventh game before the German claimed the decisive point with a backhand down the line winner.
Zverev squandered a game point at 4-4, and Auger-Aliassime forced a decisive point with a drop shot winner. Felix went for another drop shot and passed the rival at the net to secure a break and move 5-4 in front. Auger -Aliassime served for the set in game ten and fired a service winner for 6-4 after 49 minutes.
Zverev held at the start of the second set with an ace, with his troubled ankle still bothering him. Felix grabbed the second game at love with an ace and earned four break chances in the next one. He seized the second with a forehand down the line winner to move 2-1 in front and closer to the finish line.
The Canadian faced two break points in the fourth game and denied them with winners that sent him 3-1 ahead. Alexander landed a service winner in game five to reduce the deficit before Felix cracked an ace in the next one for 4-2.
Former world no. 2 experienced four break points in the seventh game and saved them to remain in contention. Auger-Aliassime secured the eighth game with a service winner and broke with a forehand down the line winner at 5-3 to seal the deal and secure his third victory in Dubai.