Cilic to play for UAE franchisee in IPTL

Reigning US Open champion and World No.9 Marin Cilic will play for Dubai-based frachisee, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Royals in the inaugural edition of International Premier Tennis League (IPTL).

The team comprising World No.1 Novak Djokovic, Marin Cilic, World No.6 Eugenie Bouchard, former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, former player Goran Ivanisevic, doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic and the No.1 Arab player Malek Jaziri will play their home matches at the Hamdan Sports Complex here from Dec 11-13, said a statement released Sunday.

"The International Premier Tennis League presents an exciting platform for tennis players to enjoy the sport in a brand new way and I am thrilled to be part of the inaugural edition. The UAE Royals are a power-packed squad and I look forward to playing for the team in front of fans in Dubai and other cities," Cilic said.

Sawan Ravani, co-owner of the team, was thrilled to have Cilic in their ranks.

"We are honoured and thrilled to have Marin Cilic, who is currently storming the Kremlin Cup in Russia, join the UAE Royals team. A super energetic player who has climbed the ATP rankings steadily, Cilic will add his own brilliance to a team that already boasts legends such as World No 1 Novak Djokovic and Goran Ivanisevic among its male players."

"Ivanisevic, incidentally, discovered and mentored Cilic, so their relationship brings a special chemistry into our team," Ravani said.

Tickets for the League have gone on sale in the UAE since Sep 15.