Tennis fans were treated to an exciting final at this year’s Eisenhower Cup, a Tie Break Tens event held in Indian Wells. In the end, it was Aryna Sabalenka and Taylor Fritz who emerged as the winners, beating Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz 10-8 in the final.
Sabalenka and Fritz didn’t have an easy path to the final, though. In the quarterfinals, they faced off against the Swiss duo of Belinda Bencic and Stan Wawrinka, winning 10-4. They then defeated Ons Jabeur and Casper Ruud 10-8 in the semifinals to earn their spot in the final.
The final itself was a tense and closely contested affair. Swiatek and Hurkacz got off to a strong start, taking an early 3-1 lead. But Sabalenka and Fritz responded by winning four points in a row to take a 5-3 lead. Swiatek and Hurkacz fought back to take a 6-5 lead, only for Sabalenka and Fritz to win three points in a row and take an 8-6 lead. Swiatek and Hurkacz managed to cut the deficit to 8-7, but Sabalenka and Fritz held their nerve to win the next two points and clinch the title.
Now, Sabalenka and Fritz will turn their attention to their respective singles campaigns in Indian Wells. Sabalenka, who is seeded second in the women’s draw, has a first-round bye and will play the winner of the match between Alize Cornet and Evgeniya Rodina in the second round. Sabalenka will be hoping for a strong performance in Indian Wells, as she looks to secure her first big result at the tournament.
Meanwhile, Fritz is the defending champion in the men’s singles event. Last year, he shocked the tennis world by winning his first Masters title after defeating Rafael Nadal in the final. This year, Fritz is the fourth seed and will have a first-round bye. Fans will be eager to see if he can repeat his heroics from last year and make another deep run in the tournament.