Having recorded the biggest victory in IPTL history, Rafael Nadal and the Indian Aces will want to put on another terrific show in front of their own fans when they face the Japan Warriors in New Delhi on Friday.
The Indian Aces thumped the Philippine Mavericks 30-12 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Thursday, with Nadal and the rest of his star-filled team putting on a show to remember.
"For me, this time of the year, it is great to be here, it's the perfect match practice," Nadal told the IPTL's official website. "I am training hard, and I get to play some competitive matches against some good players. If I wasn't here, I would be training in Majorca, so it is great to be here.
"I am happy to be here in India, the people are so friendly, the energy is terrific."
The Japan Warriors picked up their first ever win in the IPTL by edging the UAE Royals 24-21 on Thursday, and the debutant team will want to carry that winning momentum into this match against the Indian Aces, with Nadal perfectly aware that in this one-set, blink-and-it-is-done format, anything is possible.
"The IPTL is a great format, everything is so quick, and anything can happen," Nadal added. "It's great to play at home, in front of home fans, and definitely the home advantage helps the team to win.
"The tennis in IPTL is so competitive, it's a tough match, everyone wants to win and the tennis is of high quality. I enjoy this format of tennis."
Leander Paes will be the cynosure in the Japan Warriors team, with the Indian legend likely to get as much support as the players from the Indian Aces. Paes, no doubt, would love to get one over his home team.
"It's great to go out there and win it for the team, it's wonderful that we notched our first win in the IPTL," Paes said after doing his bit in the men's doubles.
"Without a doubt events like this will help tennis in India to grow. It's important to have more and more events like so young players can see their idols live in action and get inspired to play better."
Where to Watch Live
Indian Aces vs Japan Warriors is scheduled for a 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT, 9 am ET) start. Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD4. Hotstar and Starsports.com will broadcast the match in India via live streaming online.
Audience in the UK can catch Day 2 of the India leg of the IPTL live on Sky Sports, with the live stream option on Sky Go. Viewers in the US will be able to watch the IPTL live on the Tennis Channel, while the action can also be live streamed on Tennis Channel online.
Sports5 will broadcast Indian Aces vs Japan Warriors live in the Philippines, while viewers in Singapore can watch the action on the SingTel network. Audience from SouthEast Asia can watch the action live on Fox Sports Asia.
