It's been a while coming, and India will finally get to see arguably the greatest tennis player ever to play the sport live. Roger Federer will headline a superstar cast for the India leg of the IPTL as the Swiss ace leads the Indian Aces in what promises to be a humdinger of three days of action in New Delhi.
Apart from Federer, viewers will also get to see the best player in the world at the moment in Novak Djokovic, as well as the man who made winning Wimbledon look as easy as a Sunday morning stroll – Pete Sampras.
The Indian Aces made a seriously strong start to their IPTL campaign, showing they are not missing the great Federer, with four wins in a row. However, that momentum has been quelled a bit with two straight losses, even if the Aces still ace the table with 20 points from six matches, three more than the UAE Royals and the Manila Mavericks. The Singapore Slammers are a further three points behind in fourth.
The UAE Royals, with Djokovic set to make his IPTL debut, will play the Manila Mavericks, who are shorn of their stars Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova.
It has taken most players a while to get used to the format, and it will be interesting to see just how Djokovic copes at the first time of asking in India. One thing is for sure, though – the world number one will not be short of support.
UAE Royals vs Singapore Slammers will be followed by Indian Aces vs Manila Mavericks, and that will be the match that the entire stadium in New Delhi will be waiting to watch with baited breath.
It was supposed to be Rafael Nadal leading the way for the Indian Aces, but once the Spaniard pulled out with injury, Mahesh Bhupathi and co. pulled off a major coup by roping in Federer, who, like Nadal, has a massive fan following in India.
The Indian Aces already looked formidable without Federer, but with the Swiss maestro in the lineup, that formidability just gets cranked up an extra notch or two.
"It will be a huge honour to share the court with Roger," said Indian Aces teammate and India's own tennis icon Sania Mirza. "Really looking forward to performing in front of the home fans."
Where to Watch Live
Read about Roger Federer's IPTL Debut HERE
Action of the India leg of the IPTL will be shown live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports HD1 in India. Viewers in India can also watch Federer and Djokovic in action via live streaming online on Starsports.com. Watch the two matches in the UK on Sky Sports 3. Viewers can also live stream the IPTL India leg on Sky Go or Watch Sky Sports.
