Mavs team captain Huey having time of his life in IPTL

MANILA, Philippines — “It’s a dream come true to me and I’m enjoying it.”

It’s the International Premier Tennis League experience in a nutshell for Treat Huey. And it shows.

Riding high on the win last Sunday, Huey and the Mavericks extended their winning ways at home, surviving the Japan Warriors on the strength of two wins by Mark Philippoussis, and Serena Williams and Milos Raonic.

Still, the Fil-Am doubles star admits there’s pressure that comes hand in hand with the fun.

“It’s tough for me… I lost, but the rest of the team had great matches,” he told reporters. “But as long our team’s winning, I think it’s a good thing.”

Huey, who paired with Frenchman Eduoard Roger-Vasselin in the last round of action, fell prey to the duo of Leander Paes and Pierre-Hugues Hebert, 6-4. But despite missing what could’ve been a perfect nightcap for the Mavericks, he remains optimistic as the leg heads for the final playdate in the Manila stop.

“Everybody wants to win but you can’t always do it,” he said. “Hopefully we could turn that around. And I’ll win and everybody else wins tomorrow.”

After all, it’s the best parting gift to the crowd, who had been “unreal” as Indian Aces’ Rafael Nadal noted.

“Filipino fans are so into the sports. They’re so loud for our team and we really enjoy it,” Huey said. “I think not only our team but all the teams think this is the best place to play, compared to all other stops last year and last week in Kobe.”

The 30-year-old netter, who also served in the Philippines’ Davis Cup contingent, won two titles in the ATP tour last month. And he’s hoping he can capitalize on those victories’ momentum as he heads for the next season’s tour.

“I’m excited to start next year in the ATP tour. This is good to get back into the swing of things. Get back and shape and keep practicing,” he said. “Everybody is using this to train—to keep on getting better.”

The Mavericks take on Nadal and the Aces at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The latter team will again stake their hold of the top spot in the team standings as they head for New Delhi on December 10.