Leander Paes felt there's still tennis left in him and he can go on to playing till the age of 50 emulating hi... Read More

MUMBAI: It's tennis' off-season and Indian players are making most of it with the Champions Tennis League (CTL) promoted by ace commentator Vijay Amritraj serving as a perfect platform to help them earn quick bucks and get back to full fitness. The CTL will be hosted across six cities from November 17 to 26.

India's doubles great Leander Paes recently replaced an injured David Ferrer of Spain in the Punjab franchise of the CTL and is excited to have an opportunity to rub shoulders against the likes of Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, three-time Davis Cup champion Tommy Robredo, Aussie legend Pat Cash, five-time Grand Slam winner Martina Hingis and former World No. 1 Venus Williams.

"I am quite excited and looking forward to playing in the CTL for Punjab Marshals. Vijay (Amritraj) has done a great job creating a format like this. It has all the Davis Cup players, Fed Cup players and also the international stars. Integrating the international players such as Youzhny, Cash and Martina is something great. I was talking to Tommy Robredo about the CTL. He is already in Delhi and ready to play. Martina is already here, Venus is here too and I am really happy that some of the greatest players in the world will be coming to our shores in the next few weeks to be part this celebration of tennis. It is quite exciting," Paes told reporters during the unveiling of the Premier Tennis League (PTL) trophy on Saturday.

With Indian players like Saketh Myneni, Sanam Singh and Ramkumar Ramanathan competing in both CTL and PTL, Paes was of the view more leagues augured well for tennis.

"I always feel more the merrier. There was a time when there was no IPL and things changed after that. As a player its good to have more opportunities to showcase your skills. More events only help the spread of the sport. But just launching too many leagues doesn't mean good, they need sustainability," the 14-time Grand Slam winner said.

Paes, who won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, felt there's still tennis left in him and he can go on to playing till the age of 50 emulating his mixed doubles partner Martina Navratilova .

"Navratilova has given me a thought that I can play till 50 and even win a tournament. We won an event together, a few months before her 50th birthday. I have thought of that. Longevity and excellence is part of my daily ambition. Right now I am at the crossroads of life both personally and professionally. I am taking it one day at a time. There are many responsibilities. I am looking at fulfilling them to the best of my abilities and then move forward," the 41-year-old explained.

Know PTL

Five teams - Accurate Aces, Baseline Bombers, Dazzling Deuces, Sharp Smashers, Vibrant Volleyers - will vie for top honours in the Premier Tennis League (PTL).

The PTL will be staged in Pune from November 27 to December 3 with internationally renowned Indians competing.

Top buys: Saketh Myneni (Rs 240,000), Ramkumar Ramanathan (Rs 240,000), Sriram Balaji (Rs 225,000), Sanam Singh (Rs 225,000), Jeevan Neduncheziyan (Rs 225,000).

The tournament will adopt the 'All Play All' format and each match will consist of 13 games.