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The Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) heads to India this weekend and there is a palpable buzz in the country for tennis’ latest avatar. After wowing crowds in Manila and Singapore and finding favour with the players, the Coca-Cola IPTL is surely here to stay and can only grow in stature in the years to come. For Indian tennis fans that have for long been forced to satiate themselves with a lone ATP event on the calendar, the event is a can’t-miss opportunity.
Here are five things to look forward to in the India leg of the Coca-Cola IPTL.
Roger Federer’s debut appearance in India
Indian tennis fans will be eternally indebted to Mahesh Bhupathi and Rafael Nadal’s injuries which have brought the G.O.A.T. to Indian shores. Federer may be 33 years old but he is still very much in his prime, as proven by his No. 2 world ranking. The Swiss maestro, with the help of childhood idol Stefan Edberg, is playing some of his most exciting tennis in recent years.
This will be the first time that Federer will play on Indian soil, though he has visited the country earlier. Hopefully, Federer’s back is not a concern any more and Indian fans would get to see the legend in all his glory on Saturday and Sunday. The 17-time Grand Slam champion is set to set foot in Delhi on Saturday morning at 2:30 am, along with a certain 14-time Grand Slam champion.
A world class field of tennis stars
That 14-time Grand Slam champion is none other than Pete Sampras. Pistol Pete makes his Coca-Cola IPTL debut this weekend along with Federer and like the Swiss, Sampras has also never played in India.
That’s just the beginning of the list of superstars playing in India. The rest of the star cast this weekend includes reigning US Open champion Marin Cilic, top 10 stars Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic and Tomas Berdych, Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils, Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova, Australians Lleyton Hewitt and Nick Kyrgios, India’s very own Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna, and a host of legends including Goran Ivanisevic, Pat Rafter, Carlos Moya and Fabrice Santoro.
The new rules and innovations
To keep the event fast-paced and television-friendly, the Coca-Cola IPTL organizers have introduced a slew of innovations – many of them for the first time on a tennis court. The exciting new features of the IPTL include the shoot-out (instead of the tie-breaker), the no-let rule on serves, the shot clock (which restricts the time spent by players between points), the unique scoring format with the power point (which makes the next point count double), the on-court music, team huddles and time outs.
The fans will need to be tuned in to make sure they don’t skip a beat. The fresh format will surely make for some entertaining viewing at what is being billed the ‘Happiness Open’.
Heading towards an Indian Aces victory
Through the first two legs of the Coca-Cola IPTL, the Indian Aces lead the standings with 20 points, followed by the UAE Royals and Manila Mavericks at 17 points each. With a maximum of 12 more points up for grabs in Delhi, if the Indian Aces go unbeaten, at worst they would end up with a 7-point lead heading into the final leg in the UAE. And that would be a very difficult lead for any of the other teams to overcome.
Tennis players experiencing India
When Federer asked his Indian fans to create photoshop images of him a few months ago to give him an insight into places he must visit whilst in India, the response from the fans was overwhelming. Even the Swiss maestro found the results hilarious.
Indians are known for their hospitality, and Mahesh Bhupathi will surely leave no stone unturned to make sure the players enjoy their Indian experience. Federer in a sherwani, Wozniacki in a saree, Gael Monfils dancing to Bhangra, Berdych eating chicken tikka, and the players taking a selfie in front of the Taj Mahal are just some of the thoughts that come to mind. Either way, the Coca-Cola IPTL will surely leave an indelible mark on the players and the fans.
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