Tennis may not be a best-selling sport in India, but it's not devoid of fans. People of all ages want to see a Roger Federer or Serena Williams unleashing their skills on the tennis court. However, lack of ATP and WTA events in the country keep fans and budding tennis players deprived of watching their stars. With the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), that complaint is set to be addressed.
From an old-time Andre Agassi fan to the new-age Novak Djokovic admirer, the IPTL is set to catch the imagination of every tennis fan in India. And those wondering what raises the glamour quotient in tennis, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki will be out there to set the temperatures soaring in Delhi winter.
To make it more engaging for the fans, the format has been tweaked on the lines of Twenty20 cricket. One-set matches in five categories between two teams comprise one match-up, and the winner is decided on the basis of points (or games) won that are totalled at the end of those five matches.
But the tournament's hottest property remain the current stars.
Who would have imagined Goran Ivanisevic visiting India years after retiring and possibly take on Patrick Rafter to freshen up the memories of that epic 2001 Wimbledon men's singles final - the Croat's only Grand Slam trophy.
The power game Serena and Sharapova play was only heard of or watched on TV until now, but those grunts, those down-the-line winners and those lethal cross-court passes will unfold right in front of the eyes of Indian fans.
Andy Murray, who ended Britain's wait for their next Wimbledon and Grand Slam winner, will be there to re-ignite the rivalry with Federer and Djokovic. Sorely missed, though, will be Rafael Nadal, who had to withdraw from the event due to health reasons.
And the Indian flavour will be provided by Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, part of the Indian Aces team that also includes Federer and Pete Sampras. They will have the home crowd right behind them come December 6.
To cap it all, the Indian capital is set to welcome the who's who of tennis - something that has never happened before.
The four teams:
Indian Aces: Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Gael Monfils, Ana Ivanovic, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Fabrice Santoro
Singapore Slammers: Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, Tomas Berdych, Lleyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios, Daniela Hantuchova, Bruno Soares, Patrick Rafter
UAE Royals: Novak Djokovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Malek Jaziri, Nenad Zimonjic, Goran Ivanisevic, Kristina Mladenovic, Maril Cilic
Manila Mavericks: Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Kirsten Flipkens, Daniel Nestor, Carlos Moya, Maria Sharapova, Treat Huey
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