When was the last time that you had top notch tennis stars Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or for that matter Caroline Wozniacki and Sania Mirza to name a few, descending into the Indian airspace at the same time - not for endorsing a product but to play tennisIJ When did a 17-time Grand Slam winner Federer have Delhi on his closing calendar for the yearIJ When did India ever host a Djoker-Fedex clash at any level of the gameIJ
Never! But Saturday and Mahesh Bhupati's Indian Premier Tennis league (IPTl) changed it all. Yes it happened through exhibitionist tennis in what is widely and correctly perceived as a non-serious format but as a first step into India, that's quite a leap - something that the close to 9,000 spectators on a non-Federer, non-Djoker first day at the Indira Gandhi stadium, amply proved.
As Tsonga, Monfils, Ivansevic and Pat Rafter played 6-game quickies, the spectators cheered, applauded and generally serenaded starred international tennis. The Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium where all the action unfolded was decked up with audacious laser lights and blaring music which made it resembled the jazzy venue of the ATP Tour Finals in london.
Of course, Honey Singh songs were assaulting the ears during play breaks but yo-yoing to Bollywood and Punjabi pop amid all the deuces and the advantages was as startling for the players as it was for fans of the game, Priyanka Gandhi including. The atmosphere was much like that of the wrestling or kabaddi matches which have Punjabi songs egging on the contestants. At IPTl, there was that and also glittery cheer leaders saucing the arena IPl style, raising mock worries of prospects of Federer breaking into a jig mid court instead of immersing himself into top-level tennis.
As play progressed, all the talk was about the two biggest stars who were not there to regale on Day 1 — Federer and Djokovic. While Djokovic stayed back at the hotel to take a breather, and perhaps oversee the arrangements around a gluten free kitchen, Roger Federer arrived in the Capital by a late night flight on Saturday, without his wife Myrna or the twins. He was quietly whisked away to the ITC Maurya Hotel where all the IPTl stars are staying.
Contrary to reports, the 17-time Grand Slam winner will have no time to visit the Taj Mahal at Agra and will be here only for the duration of the IPTl which he is supporting. Delhiites will see him play at 4 pm on Sunday and 7 pm onwards on Monday at the decked up Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium after which he will fly out of India the next day but not before he undertakes a tantalising clash with no less a rival than Djoker.
What is tennis if it is not intense, competitive and cut-throat you would sayIJ Take a walk to the IGI Stadium and you might just turn indulgent towards IPTl - it's newest avatar of a friendly entertainer which, down the years, may become a runaway hit, like the IPl has in cricket. Till then, make peace with friendlies among rivals.