AITA terminates CTL contract

The All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Tuesday terminated the contract of Vijay Amritraj's Champions Tennis League due to non-payment of annual fee of Rs 30 lakh for the 2016 season.

AITA had entered into a nine-year contract with Second Serve Private Limited (SSPL), led by former star Amritraj, who was one of the directors of the company. However, the AITA would allow them to place a fresh bid when tender will be floated next year (2018). AITA Secretary General Hironmoy Chatterjee confirmed that the organisers have failed to pay Rs 30 lakh to them as per contract apart from 10 percent of surplus amount. "They did not conduct league last year and the contract was to have it for nine years without any break. They did not pay the fixed fee of Rs 30 lakh. We had given them a chance to conduct it this year to which they initially agreed," Chatterjee told PTI.

"But later on, they said that the franchises would not agree to have it for just 2017 season. They insisted that we allow them to conduct it for nine year as per the agreement but our Executive Committee rejected it," Chatterjee added.

The senior AITA official also said CTL organisers also failed to pay 10 per cent of surplus amount. "They never paid that 10 per cent citing losses," Chatterjee further added. The AITA though will allow SSPL to place a fresh bid next year. "We have told them they can apply next year, we won't stop them. We will give them preference," he said.

Some of the global stars such as Martina Hingis, Feliciano Lopez, Jelena Jankovic, Agnieszka Radwanska, Garbine Muguruza and India's very own Leander Paes had competed in the league in the first two editions. CTL CEO Arjun Rao did not take calls when efforts were made to get his comments on the development and Amritraj also could not be reached for his reaction.