Serena, Rafa lead stellar cast in IPTL Manila leg

MANILA, Philippines – The world’s No. 1 female star Serena Williams and Spanish 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal lead a group of 30 players confirmed to see action in the Manila stop of the five-leg International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) at the Mall of Asia Arena on Dec. 6-8 with three-day passes still available in ticket outlets for choice baseline and center seats.

The players will arrive here on Dec. 5 and stay at the luxury Nobu Hotel in the City of Dreams. The first leg will be held at the Kobe World Hall in Japan on Dec. 2-4, the second leg in Manila and the third leg at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, India, on Dec. 10-12. The fourth leg is set at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on Dec. 14-16. The fifth leg will be played at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Dec. 18-20.

In the inaugural IPTL season last year, four teams vied for the $1 Million top prize with the Indian Aces finishing at the top, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Royals placing second, the Manila (now Philippine) Mavericks taking third and the Singapore Slammers winding up last. This campaign, the four pioneer franchises are back plus the newcomer Japan Warriors.

With five teams playing in a round-robin format, the first four legs will feature the home squad and one other on the court for three straight days. The three other teams will play in two of the three days. The final leg in Singapore will end the elimination schedule on the first two days then the top two finishers will battle for the championship on the third day.

In the Manila leg, the first day will pit Japan against Singapore and UAE against the Philippines. India takes on UAE and Japan plays the Philippines on the second day. Singapore faces UAE and the Philippines duels with defending champion India on the third day.

Nadal, 29, will take to the court against UAE on Dec. 7 and the Philippines on Dec. 8 in the Manila leg while Williams is scheduled to play against UAE, Japan and India on all three days.

Six of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) top 10 male players are in IPTL rosters. No. 1 Novak Djokovic is with Singapore, No. 3 Roger Federer with UAE, No. 5 Nadal with India, No. 6 Tomas Berdych with UAE, No. 8 Ken Nishikori with Japan and No. 9 Richard Gasquet with the Philippines. Three of the top five WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) players are also in IPTL lineups. No. 1 Williams is with the Mavericks, No. 4 Maria Sharapova with Japan and No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska with India. Marquee players will see action when their teams are at home and in at least one more leg.

IPTL Manila project head Clem Apacible of SM Prime Holdings said yesterday ticket sales are picking up with the start of the second season three weeks away. Early bird sales with a 15 percent discount were brisk from May 23 to Oct. 31 but choice seats are still available in the VIP, patron and lower box sections. Three-day passes are also available for upper box at P13,600 and general admission at P3,000.

“We’re excited to stage the second season in Manila, particularly as we had the best attendance in the first season with an average of 10,000 fans a day,” said Apacible. “We set the standard for hosting a leg. Our fans were into the action from start to finish. The atmosphere was incredible and we aim to make it even more engaging this year. It’s a rare opportunity for our fans to watch the world’s best players in action and we’re not offering nosebleed seats. Our VIP seats are in the first five rows at baseline and courtside while patron seats are from rows 6 to 12 so you can be up close and personal with the players.”

Aside from Williams and Nadal, other stars coming to Manila are the WTA No. 1 doubles player Sania Mirza of India, WTA No. 9 doubles player Kristina Mladenovic of UAE, Fabrice Santoro and Gael Monfils of India, Daniela Hantuchova and Marat Safin of Japan, Nick Kyrgios of Singapore and Ana Ivanovic and Berdych of UAE, among others.

The Mavericks are bringing back only Fil-Am Treat Huey and Australian legend Mark Philippoussis from last year’s cast. Philippoussis, 38, is of Greek descent and was once ranked No. 8 in the world. He collected 11 singles titles in his career and earned $7 Million as a pro. Philippoussis wasn’t in the Mavericks original roster last season but was brought in as a substitute for injured legend Carlos Moya. Gone from last year’s cast are marquee players Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova who played only in the Manila leg so that the Mavericks were without icons in the other legs. Overall, the Mavericks posted a 6-6 win-loss record and were 4-0 over Singapore and 1-3 against UAE and India.

This season’s Philippine team is more balanced with Williams leading the charge. The lineup is composed of Williams, Huey, Philippoussis, Gasquet, Milos Raonic of Canada, Sabine Lisicki of Germany and Jarmila Gajdosova of Slovakia. Roanic, 24, is a booming server with seven singles titles under his belt. The Canadian made it to the final of the Brisbane International against Federer early this year. Lisicki, 26, is another booming server and holds the record for the fastest serve by a female player at 131 miles per hour. This year, she delivered 27 aces against Belinda Bencic in the second round of the Aegon Classic. Gajdosova, 28, has won two singles championships in a 10-year career and is known for her methodical, return play.