SINGAPORE // The head of the new International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) shrugged off concerns over Roger Federer’s fitness on Thursday as the Swiss star battles a back injury.
Founder and managing director Mahesh Bhupathi said he had received reassurances from Federer’s camp as the clock ticks down to the innovative tournament’s debut season.
“We spoke to them. He’s fine, he’s playing Davis Cup this weekend,” Bhupathi said in Singapore, one of four venues for the IPTL which starts in Manila next week.
Dubai and New Delhi are the other two host cities.
A possible withdrawal by Federer, who pulled out of Sunday’s World Tour Finals decider but is playing the Davis Cup final against France this weekend, would be a major blow to the IPTL. The Swiss star leads the Indian Aces franchise.
Rafael Nadal, who is recovering from appendix surgery, is the notable absentee in a tournament which features a who’s-who of current and former tennis stars.
Bhupathi said he hoped the made-for-TV IPTL, which puts a limit on match-times and features a shot-clock, DJs and cheerleaders, would become a strong draw for players even at the end of a long season.
“We’ve created this exciting format and they’ll hopefully schedule us along with the four slams and they can work around it,” he said at the launch of the Singapore Slammers team.
“People say that the season is long but we’re creating something that is exciting enough for them to come so that they’ll automatically schedule us.”
Doubts have been raised over the viability and format of the tournament, which has ties of five single-set matches in men’s and women’s singles, mixed doubles, men’s doubles and men’s veterans.
Teams representing Manila, Singapore, New Delhi and Dubai will play each other in the four cities in a mini-league packed into a compact schedule of about three weeks.
But it has piqued interest elsewhere with the professional women’s tour floating the idea of its own team tournament and the India-based Champions Tennis League starting only this week.
“I know it’s been discussed at the ATP board level, I know it’s been discussed at the WTA,” Bhupathi said, referring to the men’s and women’s tours.
“They should be – this is a big market, tennis is extremely popular. Fortunately for us we’ve captured the first mover advantage. First in, last out.”
Bhupathi said he wanted the tournament to grow to eight teams in the Asian region by 2020, with China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Japan among the list of destinations.
But first the IPTL will need a successful launch, starting on November 28 in the Philippine 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... we’ve made it time-sensitive and got our fingers crossed,” 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.”
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
