Punjab Marshalls team returns in full strength for CTL

Chandigarh: Punjab Marshalls team on Monday said that it has top players to do well in the second season of Champions Tennis League to be played from November 23-December 6.

The Punjab Marshalls team boasts of two players that stood out in the previous edition with their impressive performances -- Indian number two Saketh Myneni, who won the Margaret Amritraj Trophy for the best Indian Player -- and Marcos Baghdatis, who won the Robert Amritraj Trophy for Most Valuable Player of the league last year.

Up and coming WTA player Elina Svitolina of Ukraine and British player Greg Rusedski have made the Punjab-based franchise a formidable force to look out for in the second edition of the league, Kudrat Tamber, who owns Punjab Marshalls team, told reporters here today.

Chandigarh's CLTA stadium will be the venue of Punjab Marshall's home matches.

Tamber said his team would look forward to another super season.

"At a time when business owners think of owning a team as a status symbol, very few are actually interested in the development of the sport and the passion that is associated with it," she said.

CTL Chairman Vijay Amritraj said, "We are delighted to welcome back Punjab Marshalls for the second season of Champions Tennis League."

"Over the years, I always said we only had the Chennai Open as the international tennis event in India. Champions Tennis League brings international tennis, world class tennis to different cities across India. We have Indian Davis Cup players who are part of each team to participate alongside great champions," he said.

Punjab Marshalls have announced free entry to all spectators for the home matches in Chandigarh.

The Marshalls have been grouped with Raipur Rangers and Mumbai Tennis Masters in Group A.

The six teams are divided into groups of three, play each other on home and away basis and the team that wins the maximum number of games tops the group.

The top teams from each group then compete for the title.