Dubai: Former world number one Ana Ivanovic wants organisers of the cash-rich International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) to tweak a few things and make it more palatable to the players.
Ivanovic was part of the title-winning Micromax Indian Aces in the inaugural edition of the IPTL that ended with a flourish at the Hamdan Sports Complex here in mid-December. During the competition held across cities in Asia, Ivanovic played alongside legends such as Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.
Brainchild of former Indian player Mahesh Bhupathi, the IPTL moved across the four Asian cities of Manila, Singapore, New Delhi and its finale in Dubai. The organisers are yet to come up with details of the second edition this year.
“The IPTL is still in the negotiation process. It was a fun part of the season and I really enjoyed having a little bit of light-hearted competition and being a part of a team. It’s something that we miss out really. We only have the Fed Cup and I really miss being in that kind of environment. So it was a good experience,” Ivanovic said.
However, on the flip side, a lot of players also missed out on regular pre-season preparations while a few others ended on the injury list. “It was very tough to be honest because it was for a long time and we were travelling a lot, and changing services and balls. So there are a few things they need to sort of make it work a little differently for this year,” she suggested.
“Perhaps just a little bit less travelling and trying to keep more things same would help. Secondly, we had no practice courts and this is something they have to improve,” Ivanovic added.
