Int’l pro tennis league eyes Phl for first leg

MANILA, Philippines - If plans don’t miscarry, Filipino tennis fans will have a rare chance to watch past and present men’s and women’s champions play live in the Philippines when the International Premier Tennis League holds the event here this November.

The only hitch though is how the Phl could come up with a franchise fee reportedly worth $8 million or a whopping P352 million.

IPTL founder Mahesh Bhupathi said they were considering moving Thailand’s franchise to stage the event to Manila due to political unrest in Bangkok.

“We had to divert from the original franchise owner in Bangkok as the political unrest forced us to look for an alternative city to ensure the safety of all stakeholders,” league founder Mahesh Bhupathi said in a statement.

“Bringing world class tennis to new audiences has always been one of the objectives of the IPTL and we are happy to announce Manila as the first host city of our tour across Asia.

The amount is way higher than what Smart had shelled out in staging both the Smart Ultimate All-Star Weekend that saw NBA stars including Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, James Harden and Derrick Rose play at the Big Dome a few years back and the staging of the first ever NBA pre-season game at the MOA Arena last year.

If ever Manila could raise the huge amount, the Phl would absorb the Manila team composed of Andy Murray, Victoria Azarenka, Jo Wilfred Tsonga, Carlos Moya, Kristen Flipkens, Daniel Nestor and Fil-Am Treat Conrad Huey.

Among the best players in the world tapped to play are Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Thomas Berdych, Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Ana Ivanovic, Caroline Wosniacki and past champions Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Patrick Rafter and Goran Ivanisevic.