Monday 8 December 2014

Move over, ladies; the men of the Coca-Cola IPTL are bringing in plenty of glamour!



The Coca-Cola IPTL has brought the world’s best and leading tennis professionals, from both the ATP and WTA tours, together on one special stage. Those who pay keen attention to the proceedings at the professional circuit know their tennis stars well. But for those who pay only occasional glances at the sport, there are a lot of variables lying hidden in this motley mix of adventurous tennis.

On the lighter side though, it’s always fun to determine which player competing in the tournament is the best-looking of them all. Of course, the ladies of the ilk of Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic bring in plenty of glamour, but let’s just focus on the men this time, who are pretty fine physical specimens themselves.

There’s the unconventional appeal of the rugged-looking Goran Ivanisevic, who is an intrinsic part of the UAE Royals outfit. The Coca-Cola IPTL has presented the fun side of the Croat, who has been seen joking around with his teammates and sharing in the merriment of the crowd. He’s become a huge hit with the masses who, have thronged to watch him come up with a stellar show of powerful tennis and quintessential humour. 

Giving company to Ivanisevic as crowd pullers are Daniel Nestor, Mark Philippoussis and Carlos Moya, who form a part of the Manila Mavericks, and Pat Rafter and Bruno Soares for the Singapore Slammers. All these guys have always possessed a certain universal appeal; the Aussies Philippoussis and Rafter, in particular, were heartthrobs in their heyday. And in the Coca-Cola IPTL, they have pulled and rallied the crowd behind them with ease.

Equally forceful has been the presence of names like Lleyton Hewitt and Nick Kyrgios who, representing the Singapore Slammers, bring to the fore the famous Aussie spirit. Kyrgios in particular has become an instant hit with his rapper style of on-court fashion. The younger generation of the tennis fans gathered at the Happiness Open at New Delhi are finding the 19-year-old quite interesting – with his game and beyond. 

Then there’s Tomas Berdych, yet another star inclusion in the Slammers’ team. Berdych is yet to find his best rhythm in India, but that hasn’t prevented the fans from going moony-eyed over the tall, blue-eyed Czech. A similar example can be made of Marin Cilic, the reigning US Open champion, whose quiet personality has accentuated his appeal, intriguing the Indian tennis fans considerably. 

The tidal wave of love, adoration and respect pouring in for all the players gathered to the play the Indian leg of the Happiness Open has been tangible. But the response for all the other players pales when compared to the awe generated by the presence of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, for the Royals and Aces respectively. 

Both these superstars are polar opposites in their personality. The Serb is one who can crack a joke at himself, without any self-consciousness, while the Swiss is known for his gentlemanly style, sticking to convention and tradition. Most of the Indian fans had only heard or read these descriptive facets of the players. At the Coca-Cola IPTL however, they have had the chance to see these attributes first-hand. 

An entire nation has waited with bated breath to watch these players come and play in a completely new playing field and they weren’t disappointed, with the Swiss grooving to Bollywood beats and the Serb subbing himself in to play in the doubles match. 

Federer and Djokovic have completely mesmerised everyone with their game and their style, and as such it’s only fitting to term these two players as the most captivating ones of the Coca-Cola IPTL.

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