IPTL plans to serve up a premier premiere

Tennis heads into a brave new era this weekend when the International Premier Tennis League debuts its fast-paced, TV-friendly format, which is already making waves in the sport.

Fresh off winning the Davis Cup with Switzerland, Roger Federer turns his attention to more team tennis in the International Premier Tennis League. Peter Dejong / AP Photo

MANILA // Tennis heads into a brave new era this weekend when the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) debuts its fast-paced, TV-friendly format, which is already making waves in the sport.

Scepticism has mingled with curiosity in the build-up to the team event, which will dramatically shorten matches and aims to jazz up tennis as a spectacle by adding DJs and dancers.

Attention is guaranteed by an impressive roster of players, including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, as well as former stars such as Andre Agassi.

What defines the Asia-focused IPTL is its adventurous format: team ties consisting of five one-set matches, with no advantages and the first to six games wins.

A 20-second shot-clock between points guarantees quick play and, at 5-5, players go into a timed shoot-out in which they must accumulate the most points before time is up.

Players can also call a “power point” once per set, meaning the next point will count ­double.

While it is unknown how audiences – and players – will take to the new rules, there is no doubt the brainchild of former doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi has already had an impact.

The women’s professional tour is discussing holding a World Cup-style team event, and the similar but smaller-scale Champions Tennis League started in India this week.

In January, Federer will play Lleyton Hewitt in Sydney in another new, faster format featuring no advantages, no service lets and first-to-four-games sets.

The changes reflect an exploratory shift away from the stuffier, more traditional aspects of tennis. At this year’s US Open, loud music boomed out during changeovers.

“I think we’re focusing on the experience. So you’re going to see men, women and legends, you’re going to have music, giveaways, cheerleaders,” Bhupathi said. “Hopefully the kids will have fun, the parents will have fun and the grandparents will have fun, that’s our goal.”

Bhupathi hopes the tournament will grow from four to eight teams in the Asian region by 2020, with China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Japan among potential destinations.

But first the IPTL will need a successful launch, starting today in the Philippines capital, where Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova headline the Manila Mavericks.

“There’s a lot of intrigue, there’s a lot of excitement, there’s a lot of scepticism. Obviously we feel like the format should work,” Bhupathi said.

“The sceptics have been there for the last two years and now they’re like, ‘It’s actually happening’. Let’s see what they say about the season.”

Williams, who won the season-ending WTA title in Singapore last month, said: “I’m looking forward to coming back to Singapore. I hope you’ll enjoy a new format of ­tennis.”

No 9-ranked Marin Cilic said playing in Asia was part of the appeal. “When I’m in Asia, I always have good experiences and I always feel welcome,” he said.

Federer is an advocate of shorter formats in the game.

Players fought long and hard for more time off to rest and recuperate between seasons and the official off-season now extends for more than a month on the men’s and women’s tours.

So participation of the star players in the IPTL has raised some questions about scheduling and fatigue management.

Federer, 33, helped Switzerland clinch their first Davis Cup title last weekend in France and the 17-time major winner will start 2015 at the Brisbane International on January 5, ahead of the Australian Open.

ATP president Chris Kermode last month described the IPTL as “just a series of glorified exhibitions”.

“I actually don’t have a problem with it,” he said. “It isn’t the ATP’s business what the players did in the off-season, even if they criticise the duration of the tour and then jet away to play exhibition events when the curtain falls on the calendar.”

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