IPTL format gets the backing of participating stars

International Premier Tennis League's (IPTL) quick-fire format and new rules may have aroused confusion in the initial stages of the tournament, but got the backing of prominent players Friday who said they could be introduced on the ATP tour.

"Definitely it can be introduced on the tour. It's different and I like it. For someone like me who doesn't prefer long rallies, it's better. So I will definitely push for it," World No.18 Gael Monfils said at a press conference held to launch the Indian leg of the franchisee-based tournament here.

"The format is very new. It has been nice so far," added the Frenchman, part of Indian Aces franchise of the inaugural league.

The league comprises of with one-set matches (men's singles, women's singles, mixed doubles, men's doubles and men's legends' singles) hurried along by a 20-second serve clock. The inaugural tournament has added a host of other minor tweaks to the game such as introduction of an extra powerpoint in the tie breaker and adding three minutes to the initial warm-up time to make the game more eye-catching for the fans.

The new rules and scoring system evoked confusion with proven professionals like Serena Williams and Nenad Zimonjic having trouble getting to grips with the rules.

World No.5 Ana Ivanovic admitted that she was confused initially with the scoring pattern.

"I got confused with the live scores initially and took time to understand," the Serbian said.

Indian star Sania Mirza gave the tournament and the fresh format a thumbs-up.

"The team format sounded really exciting. Initially there were a lot of talks regarding how the tournament will unfold but my experience has been great so far," said Mirza.

"Of course there are a few rule changes that one needs to get used to. We all came in thinking it's going to be a bit relaxed."

Mirza and Ivanovic also said that the chance to play in a 'team competition' appealed to them.

"But the matches have been intense. We don't get to play in team events in tennis very often except Davis Cup and Fed Cup, so it has been pretty good. It has been a lot of fun so far and we are enjoying each other's company," Mirza said.

Manila Mavericks' Andy Murray earlier voiced his support for the format.

The tournament and its format have faced criticism from multiple quarters with ATP executive chairman and president Chris Kermode dubbing the competition as a "glorified exhibition" and legend Andre Agassi, part of the Singapore Slammers team, questioning its competitiveness.