Monday, September 22, 2014

#RogerFederer to replace #Rafael Nadal in IPTL-Indian Aces

Roger Federer has confirmed that he will participate in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) in December 2014. The 17-time Grand Slam champion replaces Rafael Nadal for the Indian Aces team. Nadal, unfortunately had to withdraw citing health reasons. Mahesh Bhupathi confirmed Federer’s presence via twitter.
The International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), today announced India’s leading consumer electronics company Micromax as owners of the ‘Indian Aces’, the League’s Indian franchise will be spearheaded by Roger Federer, who is arguably the biggest star in the sport.
In a televised message, Swiss ace Roger Federer said, “Namaste India! I'm really looking forward to making my first trip to New Delhi and playing for the Micromax Indian Aces. My team tells me that there are a lot of tennis fans and my supporters in the region, so I hope you can come out and support me in December. See you there!"


Speaking about his exit, Rafael Nadal said, “I am very disappointed to announce that I will not be part of the first edition of the IPTL. I was looking forward to representing Indian Aces and playing in front of fans in New Delhi in the exciting new League. I wish the team the very best and hope to be back next year.”
The League will feature 4 teams in the inaugural season before adding additional franchises to the calendar with the Indian “Aces” competing against the UAE “Royals”, Manila “Mavericks” and Singapore “Slammers” for a total prize money of USD 1 million.
Some of the world’s biggest names will arrive in New Delhi to participate in the inaugural edition of the IPTL that promises to change the way the world experiences the top sport. The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the national capital will host the India leg of this prestigious event. The Stadium with its over 15,000 spectator seating capacity is the largest indoor sports arena in India and the third-largest in Asia. It has a tradition of hosting noteworthy sports events and is the ideal Indian venue for the IPTL.


The new team tennis competition featuring the best current and former male and female players will be played across 4 selected cities in Asia (Manila, Singapore, Delhi and Dubai) from 28 November to 13 December 2014. Each match will consist of 5 sets played by different players that will include men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles and Legends singles. Each game won counts as one point for the team points total and the team that wins the most games overall across the five sets wins the match.

“The IPTL is a challenging initiative taken by Bhupathi in bringing the highest level of tennis to Asia in a competitive format. It is our privilege to partner with the organizers and team owners to make this event a great success for sports fans in India. We are proud to host the world’s top players in New Delhi and are confident that this will be the right impetus for the growth of tennis in Asia,” said Anil Khanna, President, Asian Tennis Federation (ATF).