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| IPTL |
By Ivan Saldajeno
KOBE--Micromax-India gave Legendari-Japan a rude IPTL welcome with a 25-24 win at the Kobe World Hall on Wednesday night.
Playing Coach Fabrice Santoro delivered the game-turning point for the Aces as he beat Marat Safin, 6-2, in the men's legends match, giving them the lead.
The team of Gael Monfils and Rohan Bopanna then beat the tandem of hometown favorite Kei Nishikori and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 6-4, in the men's doubles game to stretch India's lead.
Nishikori downed Monfils, a last-minute replacement for Ivan Dodig, in the men's singles, 6-4, but Monfil's four wins in the said set was enough to pull the Aces ahead of the Warriors.
Maria Sharapova gave the debuting Japanese team a boost early on as she and Herbert beat Bopanna and Sania Mirza, 6-5, in the mixed doubles before drubbing Samantha Stosur, 6-4, in the women's singles. But Santoro's domination of Safin began the Indian club's successful comeback bid.
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