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Delhi Dreams stormed into the final of the inaugural Champions Tennis League by overcoming a spirited Mumbai Tennis Masters by 27-21 in the best-of-five one-set clashes here at the Kalina University sports complex courts on Sunday night.
The decisive blow for Delhi, who ended the three-team North Zone round robin on home and away basis with three wins and a lone loss (3 points), was struck by a not fully-fit Kevin Anderson of South Africa who easily overcame a tired-looking Spaniard Tommy Robredo, playing his third match, 6-1 in the fifth rubber when match scores were tied 2-all.
The bean-pole-like 28-year-old South African, currently ranked 16th in the world, jumped to a 4-0 lead in a jiffy with his strong serves and powerful ground shots.
Delhi's game-wise advantage over Mumbai at the end of the clash stood at a commanding 27-21, according to tournament supervisor Nitin Kannamwar.
Overall, Delhi have won 11 matches (sets) and lost 9 as compared to Mumbai's poor 6-9 and third team Punjab Marshals' 8-7 ahead of the dead rubber between Mumbai and Punjab.
The League organisers have said in a media release that the winners of North and South group round robin matches (ties, according to Kannamwar) would be decided by number of matches won and lost.
Should there be a tie, in matches won and lost, then the team with the most number of games would move into the final.
The last inconsequential North Zone league game is scheduled between Mumbai and Punjab Marshals and the final is to be held at Delhi on November 26.
Mumbai and Punjab have only one point and whoever wins their clash will finish with 2 points, less than that of Delhi who, thus, have clinched a place in the final.
Delhi, who went into the game with two wins and a loss under their belt, were given a 1-0 lead by 2003 French Open winner Juan Carlos Ferrero when he defeated Mumbai's two-time former Roland Garros champion Sergi Bruguera 6-3 in a battle of two Spaniard veterans.
This was neutralised by the home team's Robredo and Alize Cornet of France with a come-from-behind 6-4 victory over Delhi's Sanam Singh, standing in for a less-than-fully-fit Anderson, and Jelena Jankovic.
In the third women's singles rubber, Jankovic of Serbia defeated her French rival Cornet 5-4 in the tie break after the game scores were level at 5-all for a 6-5 verdict to provide Delhi with a 2-1 advantage in the number of matches.
Mumbai fought back gamely by winning the men’s doubles when lanky Indian Sriram Balaji partnered Robredo to edge out Ferrero and Sanam 6-5 in the fourth match of the tie, winning the tie-break 5-3.
But the home team's hopes were later dashed by a clinically efficient display by Anderson against a visibly tired Robredo in the tie-clinching fifth rubber.
Results: Delhi Dreams beat Mumbai Tennis Masters 27-21: Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Sergi Bruguera 6-3; Ferrero and Jelena Jankovic lost to Tommy Robredo and Alize Cornet 4-6; Jankovic beat Cornet 6-5 (4); Ferrero and Sanam Singh lost to Robredo and Sriram Balaji 5-6 (3); Kevin Anderson beat Robredo 6-1.