International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) in Dubai

What is the IPTL? Who will be playing? What is the format and what is the schedule of matches in Dubai? All those questions and more are answered here with plenty of helpful links included.

Andy Murray’s Singapore Slammers will face Roger Federer and the UAE Royals in Dubai on Tuesday in IPTL action. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The National Staff

Dec 13, 2015

Swiss superstar Roger Federer will make the short drive from his home in Dubai down to the Duty Free Tennis Stadium to lead UAE Royals as the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) returns to Dubai for a second year.

The the biggest draw this year will be on Tuesday when the Royals face Singapore Slammers, led by Andy Murray.

Federer is joined by Ana Ivanovic, Thomas Berdych, Marin Cilic, Daniel Nestor, Kristina Mladenovic and Goran Ivanisevic on the Royals.

What is the IPTL?

A brainchild of Indian doubles star Mahesh Bhupathi, the team competition has attracted some of the sport’s biggest names such as Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. The second season will see five franchisee-owned teams: Philippine Mavericks, Singapore Slammers, Indian Aces, UAE Royals and newcomers Japan Warriors.

Photo gallery: Meet Roger Federer and the UAE Royals along with the other IPTL players

What is the format?

– Each tie will consist of five single-set matches: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles and past champion singles. Each game won will be worth one point and the team to have won the greater number of games at the end of those five matches will be the winners of the tie.

– If both teams have won the same number of games, the winners will be decided by a 13-point tie-breaker, or “shoot-out”. The first team to win 7 points (6-6 final point) win the shoot-out and hence the set. Unlike last year, there is no time limit on the shoot-out.

What is the schedule for the Dubai matches?

Monday

[ Indian Aces 25 - 18 Japan Warriors ]

UAE Royals v Philippine Mavericks (7.30pm)

Tuesday

Philippine Mavericks v Micromax Indian Aces (4pm)

UAE Royals v OUE Singapore Slammers (7.30pm)

Wednesday

Micromax Indian Aces v OUE Singapore Slammers (4pm)

UAE Royals v Legendari Japan Warroirs (7.30pm)

[ Click here to buy tickets ]

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