Vengeful Serena seals PH Mavericks' repeat win over Japan Warriors

MANILA, Philippines -- World no. 1 Serena Williams made sure there would be no repeat of the Kurumi Nara upset.  Not in front of an adoring home crowd. 

Williams came back with a vengeance and got back at Nara with a clinical 6-3 beating that highlighted the 25-21 repeat win by the Philippine Mavericks over the Japanese Warriors in the second day of the Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League Season 2 Manila leg on Monday night at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

Williams was putting Nara to school, 3-0, when Mirjana Lucic-Baroni came in to replace the young Japanese netter.  But the substitution did not stop Williams from claiming the victory to erase the stigma of a 6-4 humbling at the hands of Nara in the opening leg in Japan last week. 

From 17 unforced errors in that stunning upset last week, Williams was able to limit it this time to just seven. 

She came with a mindset of a winner. 

"I need to be ready especially when playing Mirjana," said the 21-time Grand Slam champion referring to the substitution. 

The 6-3 victory gave the Mavericks a comfortable six-point advantage heading into the final set where Leander Paes and Herbert upstaged local hero Treat Huey and his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 6-4. 

Serving as her warm-up to that grudge rematch with Nara, Williams partnered with Milos Raonic in the mixed doubles to frustrate Baroni and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 6-4. 

Meanwhile, Mark Philippoussis continued his unbeaten run in the fast-paced style, team tournament with an easy win against Thomas Enqvist, 6-2, in the opening Legends singles.