Tennis Firestorm; Sharapova, Murray lead roster of superstars in MOA IPTL meet

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines braces for the biggest and most unique sports competition in years as tennis superstars Maria Sharapova, Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Carlos Moya headline the Manila Mavericks team vying in the International Premier Tennis League set Nov. 28-30 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The three-day event will feature four teams representing four countries across Asia that will clash for the grand title and prize worth $1 million. These include the Indian Aces, the UAE Royals, the Singapore Slammers and Manila Mavericks with each team represented by international tennis bigwigs. 

The Mavericks team is represented by seasoned and seeded players with Sharapova boasting of 32 Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles crowns, Murray is the current Wimbledon champion, Tsonga is owner of 11 Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour singles titles.

The other team members are Daniel Nestor, holder of 85 men’s doubles plums, Belgium’s 2013 Sportswoman of the Year Kirsten Flipkens, legend Moya and Fil-Am ace Treat Huey.

Other tennis stars representing the other teams are world No. 1 Serena Williams, Nick Kyrgios, Daniela Hantuchova, Tomas Berdych, and Patrick Rafter of the Singapore Slammers; Ana Ivanovic, Fabrice Santoro, and Gael Monfils for the Indian Aces; and Eugenie Bouchard, Richard Gasquet, and Goran Ivanisevic of the UAE Royals. Many other players will be announced as the date draws closer to the match.

Each day comprises of two matches, with five sets per match. Matches include the men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, mixed doubles, and legends singles.

Each season pass entitles the holder to attend all three days, making sure fans receive their money’s worth. The Philippines is the first stop of four cities in which the Manila Mavericks will continue to represent the Philippines to win the grand title of the IPTL champions.

The IPTL is a tennis championship league headed by Manesh Bhupathi, an Indian tennis champion.

Match schedules are on Nov. 28: India vs Singapore at 4 p.m. and Philippines vs UAE at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 29: UAE vs Singapore at 4 p.m. and Philippines vs India at 7:30 p.m.; and Nov. 30: UAE vs India at 4 p.m. and Philippines vs Singapore at 7:30 p.m.

The MOA Arena is a multi-purpose venue that can accommodate a seating capacity of 15,000, with a full house at 20,000. Designed for concerts and basketball games, it can also be configured to a fashion show and tennis court.

For details, visit www.premiertennisleague.com and www.smtickets.com.