- City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
- Dubai 04:26 05:44 12:20 15:47 18:50 20:08
Marin Cilic of Croatia reacts after defeating Roger Federer during the semifinals of the 2014 US Open tennis tournament, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, in New York. (AP)
US Open champion Marin Cilic will represent the Dubai franchise UAE Royals in the inaugural edition of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL).
Together with world no. 1 Novak Djokovic, Cilic will lead the UAE Royals, in matches featuring several of the world’s finest players from the ATP and WTA rankings.
Cilic will travel to the IPTL’s match destinations in the Philippines, Singapore and India before playing at Dubai’s magnificent Hamdan Sports Complex from December 11 to 13.
As of now, the UAE Royals comprise Djokovic, Cilic, Canadian tennis sensation and current World no. 6 Eugenie Bouchard, former world no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, the legendary Goran Ivanisevic, who is also Cilic’s coach; doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic, and the no. 1 Arab player in the world Malek Jaziri.
Commenting on his entry into the UAE Royals squad, Cilic said: “The International Premier Tennis League presents an exciting platform for tennis players to enjoy the sport in a brand new way and I am thrilled to be part of the inaugural edition. The UAE Royals are a power-packed squad and I look forward to playing for the team in front of fans in Dubai and other cities.”
Sawan Ravani, co-owner of UAE Royals, said: “We are honoured and thrilled to have Marin Cilic, who is currently storming the Kremlin Cup in Russia, join the UAE Royals team. A super energetic player who has climbed the ATP rankings steadily, Cilic will add his own brilliance to a team that already boasts legends. Ivanisevic, incidentally, discovered and mentored Cilic, so their relationship brings a special chemistry into our team.”
“We can’t wait to see Cilic play at the Sheikh Hamdan Sports Complex, Dubai, this December. We know he will delight and thrill his fans here. Young tennis players will be particularly inspired by this player famous for his powerful aces,” Ravani added.
Sachin Gadoya, co-owner of UAE Royals, said: “Cilic has shown remarkable resilience and fortitude as a player. We all admire him for his ability to bounce back from difficult situations. We know he has a strong fan base in the UAE and we are very happy we can bring this ace to play for Dubai.”
At a career-high No. 9, Cilic captured his first Grand Slam title at the US Open this year, also becoming the first Croatian to claim a major crown since Ivanisevic at the 2001 Wimbledon.
This has been a landmark year for the Croat, who has taken the tennis world by storm and is hoping to maintain his top form in the coming months.
Tickets for the much anticipated League have gone on sale in the UAE since September 15.
Tickets for the UAE leg of the tournament will be available in two format options – day passes or season passes – and in three sections – Regular, Corner Prime and VVIP.
Customers who opt to purchase season passes can enjoy a special 10 per cent discount.
The IPTL is a unique team-based tennis league founded by multiple Grand Slam winner, India’s Mahesh Bhupathi, and played across four countries in Asia.
The league will feature 21 Grand Slam champions and 14 current and former World number ones, with the winning team walking away with prize money of $1 million.
The inaugural edition will be held in the cities of Manila, Singapore, New Delhi and Dubai between November 28 and December 13.
The IPTL promises to ‘Break the Code’ of the game’s traditional format in order to attract a new audience to the sport.
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.