DUBAI // The sport’s biggest names are on board, venues are being spruced up and most of the broadcasting rights have been sold, with Abu Dhabi TV signing up for this region.
Mahesh Bhupathi cannot wait for November 28, the opening day of the hugely anticipated International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), to arrive.
Canadian sensation Eugenie Bouchard is the latest to join the event, signing up for the UAE Royals to replace Martina Hingis. She will play alongside men’s world No 1 Novak Djokovic and Frenchman Richard Gasquet, Croat legend Goran Ivanisevic and fellow WTA pro Caroline Wozniacki.
“It’s three months away, so everyone’s excited and we are looking forward to it,” said the Indian doubles star who founded the league. “We have done our TV deal in the Mena region with Abu Dhabi TV, so we are very excited that things are falling into place.”
Inspired by the success of cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL), Bhupathi has assembled an enviable start cast for the league, with Rafael Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Victoria Azarenka, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi being its earliest signings.
Nadal and Ivanovic will be representing the Indian Aces, Williams and Agassi will be the headline acts for the Singapore Slammers, while Murray and Sharapova will defend the colours of the Manila Mavericks, who will host the opening round from November 28 to 30.
The four franchisee-owned teams will then play in Singapore from December 2 to 4, before moving to Delhi for the December 6-8 third leg. The Hamdan Sports Complex hosts the final round from December 11-13, where the winning team will take home $1 million (Dh3.67m).
“The Hamdan Sports Complex is a unique venue,” Bhupathi said. “It’s one of the best indoor stadiums I have seen in the world. So we are looking forward to having world-class tennis there for the first time.”
The IPTL has been in the works for more than three years and Bhupathi said he had faced plenty of challenges through that period, mostly from sceptics, who still seem unconvinced about a place for an event like this in tennis.
“I expected scepticism and there is still a lot of scepticism across the world,” said Bhupathi, who said winning four doubles and mixed doubles grand slam titles was “easier” than putting together the IPTL.
“When the first day happens on November 28, I think the whole world will be watching. But I think, if it was easy, it would have been done a long time ago. So we were under no illusions and we knew we had our work cut out.
“Someone told me that where there is money, there’s always politics. But we are here to innovate and create something visionary and new, and we don’t want to get into politics.”
With “Break the Code” as their catchphrase, IPTL has promised to spice up the world of tennis as the IPL has done for cricket, and Bhupathi is convinced they will deliver. “We are breaking the code,” Bhupathi said. “It’s not traditional tennis. We are adding a lot of different aspects to it, different innovations.
“The players have always known about the concept and the vision, so they were very excited about it. The fact that you have the best men, the best women, some of the greatest players of all time playing on a team, it’s exciting.
“At the same time, we’ve got the cheerleaders, we’ve got the DJ, we’ve got the entertainment aspect of it, so hopefully it’s going to be a lot of fun for the fans. There’s going to be gifts, prizes, music and great tennis.”
sports@thenational.ae
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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The%20Sandman
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Results
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Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying