Along comes '15

The year gone by was one that sported headlines galore and was host to a number of highlights on both sides of the line. It boasted of as many superlative performances as it did underwhelming and on the barometer of excitement, it stood out as the one that pressed all the right pressure points. We had four different grand slam winners on the ATP tour and the coming of age of a few new names provided relief that the game stands in good hands with the top four slowly entering the dusk of their hegemony. Germany showed Brazil a trick or seven in the world cup semi final and then followed it up with their fourth title against the fancied Argentinians. Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continued to dazzle for their mighty clubs but fell aside when leading the charge for their countries. New Zealand transformed itself into a redoubtable force on the cricket field with Mcculum's exploits helping the black caps surge. Let's have a look at the way this year unfolded and what the new one has in store for us. A word for Kidambi Srikanth who shot to world number 4 after suffering debilitating illness in the year. To beat Lin Dan in China was undoubtedly the highlight for the indomitable Indian and with age on this side, expect to see him scorching the badminton charts in the coming year. Saina and Sindhu maintained their competitiveness with another World Championships bronze for the latter. With a sparkling year for the Indian shuttlers, Rio prospects look brighter than ever.

Stan Wawrinka and Maran Cilic broke through the firm of Novak, Roger, Rafa and Andy to land the first and last grand slam titles of the year. While these epoch making titles were sandwiched Nadal's historic ninth title at the Roland Garros and Djokovic's second at the greens of Wimbledon, the arrival of a new brigade was certainly announced. Grigor Dimitrov dazzled as much on the field as off it ( Sharapova is no mean hand candy) and the Japanese Kei made sure that tennis lovers could look forward to an appetizing new year. Novak finished the year at the top of the heap by some margin and with the other members of the elite club struggling with either age or injury, he remains the flag bearer for the old guard. On the WTA tour, Serena continued to dominate but had only the US Open to to show for her efforts. Li Na scored in Australia but retired later and the Europeans in Maria and Petra lifted the French Open and Wimbledon respectively. It was again an up and down year for women's tennis that we have got used to seeing. Not much seems to be changing in the near future with trophies changing hands regularly being the norm. New names seem difficult to come by and the younger Williams will remain the woman to beat on the tennis courts.

The FIFA world cup in Brazil was supposed to be the celebration of the beautiful game in its spiritual home. The Samba thrilled everyone till the brutal shock of the semi final. The reigning champions were subjected to a Spanish inquisition and were abject in their defense of the title they won so convincingly in Germany. Joachim Leow led his boys to a fantastic title with a blend of attacking and holding football. While the major football leagues in the world don't muster the Bundesliga amongst them, the German structure shone through at the highest stage. Neuer was the architect of the great win with some saves that would go down in history. Thomas Muller scored a hat trick against the Portuguese and with their talisman in Miroslav Klose in fine fettle, there was no stopping the Mannschaft. It was an efficient yet memorable performance that paves the way for a young team to go ahead and emulate the Spanish on both the world and European stages.

Lewis Hamilton ran away with the championship with an incredible 11 wins out of the 19 grand prix. Mercedes were a class apart in bringing to an end the superiority of the Red Bulls. Sebastian Vettel moved to the Scuderia and a few teams like Caterham and Marussia needed to wind up mid season. Nico Rosberg played catch up whole season but still went into the Abu Dhabi race with a chance to upset the marauding Hami. There were a few incidents on the track with the top two confronting each other regularly and Jules Bianchi suffering severe head injuries at the Japanese grand prix. Honda return to the fold for 2015 and with some new pairings being formed, the new season should hopefully provide a more competitive racing scenario for the aficionados. The year also saw the shocking accident that befell its most visible figure in Michael Schumacher. Having suffered head injuries while skiing, he remains in a convalescent state with the world praying for a hero's recovery.

Rory McIlroy emerged as the top player of the year on the golfing greens bagging the Open and the PGA Championships. Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer triumphed at the Masters and the US Open respectively. Tiger continued to struggle for the next major title which remained elusive this year as well. With younger men upping the ante, it looks like the erstwhile champion may well have seen the last of his chances to add to his tally pass by. Europe extended its dominance over the USA in the Ryder cup with a third consecutive title. Rory would gun to add a few more titles in the coming year to make sure he earns his stripes to be counted amongst the greatest to have played the game.

2015 would host the cricket world cup with the defending champions looking good in the shorter format of the game while appearing jaded at the test level. It should be an enchanting tourney down under with a few challengers and dark horses in the midst. The Proteas would look to break their duck while the Aussies would be confident of starting another string of successes at home. The jokers in the pack should be the black caps who are enjoying a good patch of form and will also like the home conditions. For a game being dogged by a slew of negative occurrences not limited to the match fixing clouds and the financial conditions of a few boards, the competition should come as manna from heaven. Here's wishing all the sports connoisseurs a very sporting new year 2015.

The dark horses of the Coca-Cola IPTL

The Coca-Cola IPTL was conceived to bring together a galaxy of stars playing in a mixed team format. The Hopman cup is perhaps the closest it gets to this exciting and novel format but then it’s played along country lines precluding some delicious pairings as Djokovic-Wozniacki or Federer-Ivanovic. While the front line of all the teams boasts of superlative names like Federer, Novak, Murray, Serena, and Sharapova, there have been a few stellar performances from unexpected quarters as well. These are players who are stars in their own right but in a field this glittering, need to take a back seat in the popularity stakes. That has however not translated to a muted show from the relatively unknown faces in this part of the world. Mingling in with the supernovas are these quarks that have shone bright on this exalted stage and added that big dash of delight to the "happiness open". Given that the games won is the prime metric of a player's performance within the set of rules, we look at the average number of games won per set by some of the unexpected stars of the Coca-Cola IPTL. They are the ones who have beaten their reputation to take center stage on the court.

 

Mark Philippoussis

The "scud" has not lost any of his fire power and looked in prime touch in all the matches that he has played so far for the Manila Mavericks. With Carlos Moya struggling, the mavericks got a shot in the arm with the Aussie icon in their fold. With a perfect record of winning all the five matches that he has played and an average of the best possible 6 games per set, Mark has truly lived up to his billing as a legend. He may not have landed a grand slam title in his hey-day but has got better of more fancied opponents in Andre Agassi, Cedric Pioline and Goran Ivanisevic. He has looked in fine fettle and his single handed passes have been nothing short of astonishing. That he looks as fit as he did at the two slam finals he reached is testimony to the fact that tennis still sits easy on this icon's broad shoulders. The Philippines based team would look to him to take them closer to the coveted top slot.

Fabrice Santoro

Another legend has punched above his weight. The Indian Aces owe their top position at the moment to the "magician". The two handed forehand was something that pulled a few tricks from the Frenchman as an active player on the ATP tour and it seems the sleight of hand has not waned. Fabrice matches Philippoussis at the incredible average of 6 games per set and has proved his worth with the other legends on the Aces' team in Cedric Pioline and Pete Sampras falling short of expectations. His agility and ground strokes have been phenomenal and the longevity he showed on the professional circuit having played in grand slams in four different decades is evident for everybody who saw him trade shots at the Coca-Cola IPTL. His smile remains one of the hallmarks of the table toppers scintillating run.

Rohan Bopanna / Sania Mirza

The Indian pair is accomplished in doubles play with multiple grand slam titles to their name, albeit with different partners. However, not many would have expected them to light up the courts against bigger names. Their mixed doubles combination has played 7 out of the 8 matches played so far for the Aces and won 5 of them, losing one in the shoot-out. Their average games per set is a remarkable 5.28 which is proof of how well the duo has played in tandem. Their net coverage has been exemplary and with the traditional quick hands that doubles play asks for, the Indians have been a source of joy to the crowd and team alike. Bops has had a slightly lower rate of success at the men's doubles but has combined well with Monfils to rake in some important victories. His average of 4.12 games per set for the 8 sets played pales in comparison with the number for the mixed doubles but is nevertheless a respectable achievement given that he has had to play two sets for all the matches. To top it all, both Sania and Rohan combined today with Federer to slam the slammers 6-0, 6-1 in the mixed doubles and men's doubles respectively. If nothing else, those last two matches make the pair worth a mention in this list.

Kristina Mladenovic

I have to admit that i had not heard much of the French girl of Serbian descent before she took the Coca-Cola IPTL by storm. She has had some success on the WTA tour rising to 36 in 2013. Her claim to fame however are the two grand slam titles in mixed doubles at the 2013 Wimbledon and the 2014 Australian open with the more established Canadian Daniel Nestor. Her 5 games won on average per set in 12 sets played across singles and mixed doubles is a tremendous achievement given the stature of the more fancied ladies in the fray. She has combined well with Nenad Zimonjic to have the UAE Royals in the second spot. Kristina has been a consistent out-performer for the middle-east based team and would count as the chief architect of a possible top of the table finish. A shooting  star by every stretch of the imagination.

Nick Kyrgios

The slammers are languishing at the bottom of the table. In spite of their twin wins at home in Singapore, some other poor results have had them struggling. Standing out for them has been the effervescent Nick. He has been the anchor of the team with some stalwarts like Serena Williams, Tomas Berdych and Andre Agassi. Having played all of men's singles, mixed doubles and men's doubles for the Slammers with regularity, he has been the face of the faltering team. Some of his losses have been close fights with the teenager losing out in the shoot-out. His return of 4.08 games per set may not set the charts on fire but does impart an air of respectability to his team's fortunes. That he has been egging on his mates with a fervor reserved typically for Davis cup events has projected him out like a beacon. He has given it his all and stands out as one of the most likeable participants of the "happiness open".

Coca-Cola IPTL: How brands are leveraging niche events to inspire youngsters to take up sport

One of the most visible and exuberant proponents wielding the tennis racquet at the Coca-Cola IPTL is Nick Kyrgios. All of 19, the Australian star of Greek heritage has the boys' singles event at the Australian Open to his name but more importantly, made the quarters at this year's Wimbledon championships after defeating the indomitable Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet en route. The man Nick conquered on grass made a splash himself on the Parisian red dirt bagging the French Open title on his first attempt; Rafa had not gone past his teens either when he started his clay domination.

We have just seen the "Mozart" of chess Magnus Carlsen retain his world championship in the classical format to add to his rapid and blitz titles he won earlier this year. With an ELO rating that is shooting through the roof, his achievements only buttress his claim of being an all-time great. The Norwegian is all of 24 now; he made the GM norm at 14 years, and was the world number one at 19. If you get my tilt, sport is increasingly being dominated by young champions at ages where adolescence has not yet let go.

Popular commercial brands have had a major role to play in this phenomenon. Teenagers are increasingly getting access not just to live telecast of sport at its pinnacle but also watching the superstars in flesh and blood. All of this courtesy a number of sports leagues getting a foothold around the globe.

Global brands have been the principal pillars of support for these tournaments, which are still in their infancy. A wide-eyed youngster walking out on the court hand in hand with Roger Federer to the adulation of thousands of fans at the Coca-Cola IPTL is sure to be inspired beyond the regular pep talk from her local coach. The ball boy who watches from close quarters, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils fight it out is bound to dream of matching the Frenchmen’s shots and charisma.

Seeing top flight action at such close quarters certainly goes a long way in producing young champions. Crucially, these events also lend the youngsters a perfect opportunity to understand the mindset of these athletes who are at the summit of their game. Listening to them talk about the work, dedication and sacrifice they needed to put in since they were at the same age is a lesson no book can impart.

After all, what can be better than hearing it from the horse's mouth? With youngsters walking out on the pitch for every big match in every big event, dreams take wing and carry some of those walking alongside their heroes to sporting greatness.

Then there is the aspect of reaching out to the young sporting audience. Events like the football World Cup and the Coca-Cola IPTL leave no stone unturned in ensuring that every person in the world follows the action and gets to witness the incredible athletic feats that are performed by the stars.

Ahead of the football showpiece event in Brazil this year, Coca-Cola had launched the “World’s Cup” campaign to unite people from all over the world in the name of football. The campaign worked like a charm, as youngsters and aspiring players facing hardships in different parts of the globe got the opportunity to come into the spotlight. “Everyone was invited” to participate in the celebration of football, and everyone did indeed accept the invitation.

With the IPTL, Coca-Cola is trying to make use of another opportunity to reach out to the youngsters, this time through tennis. Brands like Coca-Cola use occasions like these to replace naiveté with steel, leading to the birth of champions. Sporting master-classes from icons, a spin trip with Shane Warne or a kick around with Lionel Messi are regularly organized around niche events and the tender ones learn a few things about precision, application and fair play in the company of these greats.

There are sponsored complimentary tickets for juniors to watch matches live, and witnessing a game from inside a stadium is an experience that gives every prodigy the sense of awe and grandeur and pushes him toward realizing his talent. With television and live telecasts making inroads into the remotest corners of the globe, commercials are being used by brands not just to further sales but also to bring sport closer to the youngsters.

Business promotion is sometimes looked at with skepticism, but brands leveraging global sport and its legends to inspire teenagers to take up sport is certainly a welcome development.

Coca-Cola IPTL : A league of extraordinary gentlemen (and women)

 The league of happiness

The Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League adds another dimension to the burgeoning interest in top flight tennis in Asia. The novel format brings together elements of competition, fun and glamor to the game that is typified by the staid whites of the Wimbledon lawns to the boisterous yet appreciative crowds of the Flushing Meadows. The juxtaposition of entertainment with sport is something that leagues around the world have exploited but what makes the Coca-Cola IPTL stand apart is its endorsement in a geography that has traditionally not been a power house in tennis. Lets look at a few factors that make this tourney fit the tag of the "Happiness Open" to the T.

Tennis magic, new and old.

A gathering of 21 grand slam champions and 14 current and former world numbers ones is an event that should chart its own course in tennis history. With names like Federer, Djokovic, Murray on the men's side and Serena Williams, Sharapova and Ivanovic on the women's, the league is bound to catch the fancy of any tennis connoisseur. Add to that the element of nostalgia that the legends will bring in. Sampras, Ivanisevic, Agassi, Rafter, Moya and the magician Santoro will be trading a few shots against each other and an era gone by should flash in front of our eyes once more. And then there are the dream pairings that one only fantasized about till now. Where else would you expect to see Andy Murray partner Maria Sharapova in a mixed doubles match or the two claimants to the all time great spot, Federer and Sampras taking the court together on the same side. If that does not "open happiness", not much else would. The legends would want to make sure, they live true to their names and with professional rivals on the tour egging each other on in a novel team play format, new partnerships should be forged. All in all, a recipe for a wonderful fortnight of tennis mixing the old with the new in front of mammoth and discerning crowds that rarely get to see a field as rarefied as this.

 New rules, to get you hooked and stay that way

The Coca-Cola IPTL will see far reaching changes to the way traditional tennis is played. The aim to make it viewer friendly both for television and live audience has driven novelties that should bring in an adrenaline rush reserved for the grand slam humdingers.  The advent of the shot timer for serves should keep the pace of the game brisk and with every game counting in the final evaluation,  any let ups in the intensity are ruled out. What marks the most interesting innovation for me is the "power point" that would let the receiver break at 30-40 with just one point. With no advantage play and a 15 second running counter, the margin of error should be minimal and serves would count for less making breaks a regular occurrence during the matches. With a 5 minute shoot out to decide a set at 5-all and a 7 minute super shooter to decide a tied match at the end of 5 sets, there ought to be less towels and more play. Drop shots should be in vogue to keep the points short and the players  forgiven for the number of double faults that would be considered sacrilege on the professional tour. With just one set to play for most players in a match and the tempo at break neck speed, mental agility would count for as much as tennis skill. Akin to a game of blitz chess when compared to the classical format. The one who keeps her wits around wins.

See these legends fly your flag high

 One does not see a blunting of the competitive edge in spite of the novel format given the teams would play for 4 separate nationalities and it won't be surprising to see a few current and former rivalries take center stage. Not often to Asian countries get to call icons as these their own. With 4 legs planned in each of the four countries of Philippines, Singapore, India and the UAE in that order, the round robin league should see all the players ply their trade fairly often. In a match of five sets comprising of men's singles, men's legends singles, women's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles, a variety of combinations would be tried by the teams giving the audience a chance to watch as many as 20 champions, former and current in an afternoon's outing. In times of short attention spans and shorter leisure allocations, this is certain to entice not just the loyal followers but also fringe spectators into the tennis fold.

An enchanting schedule

One of the key factors to make the Coca-Cola IPTL successful is the scheduling. The last grand slam of the year finishes in August and with a 4 month void till the new year's Australian open, a league like this fits in perfectly. With exhilarating tennis compacted on one court and running for the same time as a grand slam, the tournament has the distinct air of watching a happiness slam. High octane sets in a jovial atmosphere serve as the perfect compliment to the grinds of the ATP and WTA tours that we see all year round. At a time when tennis lovers get ready for the year end celebrations, what could be a better Christmas present. If nothing else, joy should be the primary outcome of this cracker of an idea. Love all and lets get ready for a scorcher.