World Tennis League Round-Up: Badosa–Monfils lead Eagles’ charge as Medvedev’s Falcons mount comeback

The Day 2 of the World Tennis League is in the books, and the story of the day was the continued dominance of the Eagles. Led once again by the dynamic duo of Paula Badosa and Gael Monfils, the team secured a triumphant victory over Nick Kyrgios and Marta Kostyuk's Kites.

On the other side of the draw, Daniil Medvedev overcame a tight battle against Denis Shapovalov in the clash between the Falcons and the Hawks. His victory kickstarted a comeback for his team, ultimately sealed by former doubles World No. 1 Rohan Bopanna. Playing on home soil in Bengaluru, India, Bopanna emerged as the MVP of the tie, securing crucial victories in both men's and mixed doubles.

In the opening round, both Paula Badosa and Marta Kostyuk had suffered defeats in their respective singles matches. On Thursday, they were the first to take the court, but the contest was one-sided. The former World No. 2 produced an imposing performance, cruising to a 6-1 victory and gifting her team a massive 5-game lead right out of the gate.

Both women returned for the mixed doubles, where Badosa paired with Monfils, while Kostyuk teamed up with local player Dhakshineswar Suresh. The result was the same, with the Eagles soaring to a 6-3 win. The men stayed on court for the men's doubles, where Sumit Nagal joined Monfils to face Nick Kyrgios and Suresh. The momentum remained firmly with the Eagles, who secured their third consecutive win of the tie, this time by 6-3, building an insurmountable lead.

In the closing singles match—played more for the spectacle than the result—locals Nagal and Suresh battled to a tie-break. The former World No. 68 Nagal used his experience to edge out a 7-6(6) victory. It was a commanding 25-13 aggregate win for the Eagles. With two victories in the Round Robin stage, they appear to be the best-positioned team to reach Saturday’s final, pending Friday’s results.

The Falcons entered Day 2 under pressure, needing a victory to stay in contention. Daniil Medvedev was tasked with keeping his team alive in the opening rubber against the always-dangerous Denis Shapovalov. The former US Open champion secured a single break of serve to take a 6-4 victory, redeeming himself after his opening day loss to Monfils.

However, things got complicated for the Falcons in the women's singles. Magda Linette struggled against World No. 14 Elina Svitolina, who dominated the match. The Ukrainian's 6-2 victory swung the momentum, giving the Hawks a [10-8] lead in the overall score.

The tie would be decided by the doubles. First, in the men's doubles, Medvedev partnered with Rohan Bopanna, while 'Shapo' teamed up with local Indian player Yuki Bhambri (a former junior No. 1). The Medvedev-Bopanna pairing proved too strong, winning 6-3 and sending the tie to a deciding mixed doubles rubber. Stepping up again, Bopanna joined forces with Linette to secure a definitive 6-3 win over Bhambri and Rajeshwaran, sealing a vital comeback victory for the Falcons.