Aussie legend may return for Mavericks

MANILA, Philippines - Serena Williams, Richard Gasquet and Milos Raonic won’t be back for the Philippines’ last two matches in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) but Australian legend/playing coach Mark Philippoussis may return to action against Japan tomorrow and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday as the season winds up its final leg in Singapore.

Williams, Gasquet and Raonic played for the Mavericks in the first two legs in Kobe and Manila but withdrew after propelling the Philippines to second place in the five-team standings.  Since their withdrawal, the Mavericks have slipped to fourth spot and are in serious danger of missing the finals on Sunday.  The top two placers at the end of the eliminations on Saturday will advance to dispute the $1 Million first prize in the finals.

So far, the Mavericks have compiled 208 games won against 227 lost for a winning rate of 47.82 percent.  Two matches with significant bearing on the standings were played in Dubai yesterday as India battled Singapore and Japan took on UAE. The Slammers got a boost in their bid for the finals with the late arrival of icon Andy Murray who led Singapore to a 27-24 win over the Royals by capping the tie via a 6-4 decision over Roger Federer.

Philippoussis played for the Mavericks in the first three legs then skipped Dubai with knee issues.  Mavericks co-owner and team manager Jean Henri Lhuillier recruited James Blake to fill in for the Australian against UAE and India in Dubai. Blake, 35, beat Goran Ivanisevic, 6-5, in the Philippines’ 26-24 victory over the Royals last Monday but fell to Rohan Bopanna, 6-0, in the Mavericks’ 30-17 loss to the Aces the next day.

It’s still not certain if Philippoussis or Blake will play for the Mavericks in the legends singles in Singapore.  “Some fluid was drained from Mark’s knee aside from undergoing therapy,” said Lhuillier.  “He had to sit out the matches in Dubai.  Maybe, Mark will play in Singapore but James will be with us in the final leg.”

With two matches left, the Mavericks are in a bind.  “We need to rack up as many games to have a chance for second spot,” said Lhuillier.  “I like Ivo (Karlovic) as he brings back our chances against anyone in men’s singles.”

Karlovic, 36, was a late addition to the Philippine lineup and came in for the Dubai leg.  India’s Somdev Devvarman was enlisted for the India leg but hasn’t played for the Mavericks.  The India leg was a disaster for the Mavericks who were severely handicapped with the withdrawal of Williams, Gasquet and Raonic.  The Mavericks lost to India, 30-12 and to Singapore, 30-22, as the Philippines failed to win a single set in both ties.  

Karlovic brought life back to the Mavericks’ campaign by beating Federer in Dubai.  The Philippines won four of five sets against the Royals with Blake, Edouard Roger Vasselin and Treat Huey in men’s doubles and Vasselin and Jarmila Gajdosova in mixed doubles accounting for triumphs.

In Singapore, the Philippines won’t play against the two leading teams India and the Slammers.  The Mavericks are in a must-win situation against Japan and UAE. They need to sweep and hold down their lost games to a minimum.  But their chances of advancing to the finals also hinge on the Aces and Slammers losing badly in their last ties.  It’s nearly impossible to strike out the Aces but there’s a slight chance to dislodge Singapore.  The problem for the Philippines is, since the Mavericks won’t play the Aces and Slammers in the last leg, they’ll rely on others to bring down the two pacesetters.

The Mavericks have faced Japan twice so far this season.  In Kobe, the Philippines beat the Warriors, 28-24, with Philippoussis, Gasquet and Raonic delivering set wins.  In Manila, the Mavericks repeated over Japan, 25-21, with Philippoussis, Raonic and Williams figuring in set wins.  

The Philippines has also played UAE twice. In Manila, the Mavericks beat the Royals, 29-18, with Williams and Huey losing the only set in mixed doubles. Philippoussis, Raonic, Williams and Gasquet saw action in the four set wins.  In Dubai, the Philippines beat UAE once more, 26-24, with Karlovic, Vasselin, Huey, Gajdosova and Blake playing in the four set wins.  

If the Philippines sweeps its last two ties, the Mavericks will bring up their won games total to 268.  Assuming the Mavericks blank the Warriors and Royals, their winning rate will go up to 54.1 percent. So the challenge for the Philippines is to maximize won games and minimize lost games in the last two matches against Japan and UAE.  

Blake earned $7.98 Million in his pro career that was highlighted by 10 career singles titles.  His last singles championship came at the 2007 Connecticut Open where he defeated Mardy Fish, 7-5, 6-4 in the final.  His last singles championship on foreign soil was at the 2007 Sydney International where he outplayed Carlos Moya, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 in the final.  Last September, Blake was back in the headlines after a New York policeman brought him down on the ground, cuffed and arrested him in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel. It was a case of mistaken identity as the policeman thought he was the suspect in a credit card fraud.  Police commissioner Bill Bratton apologized for the mistake.  Blake, whose father is African-American and mother is British, has since taken an active role in campaigning against police brutality against minorities.