The draws have been picked (or re-picked), the courts booked, the rackets re-strung and the battle lines have been drawn. While Federer, Nadal and co. battle it out in the indoor courts of Madrid this weekend, their famous South Mumbai counterparts will gather tomorrow evening for the kick off of the 1st AATP championship on the hallowed turfs of MSLTA.

The October heat and the questionable fitness levels of the players, coupled with lack of appropriate technology to implement an On-Court Temperature rule, has led to a Friday evening start to accommodate player wishes to play under the lights as far as possible. Never before has a tournament so minuscule in size (the players raised their own funds to pay for the court and balls) captured the imagination of a group like this.

The cast of players only adds to the intrigue and drama of what organizers Ashutosh & Haresh hope will turn out to be a half fledged tour for tennis amateurs. Group 1 (or the 30+ group) is led by tournament organizer Ashutosh Goel, new daddy Jonty Kandpal, boom-boom Bharat Ramchandani and Flushing Meadow-returned Ayaz Vasi.
Group 2 (we’ll call this the 30- group) is led by co-organizer Haresh Ramchandani (at 29, the second youngest player in the draw), on-the-comeback-trail Anil Goel, Dubai returning Rizwan Sumar and Daman’s packaging tycoon Siddharth Singh Rathore (for now the youngest player in the draw until Jonty’s son makes his debut next year).

The field promises to throw up exciting tennis and even more exciting drama that Ekta Kapoor could use for her next Balaji soap. And up for grabs for the winner are vouchers from Baskin Robbins and the million dollar feeling of rubbing into everyone else’s face that they’re the best!!!