MANILA, Philippines - Mas balanse ngayon ang line-up ng Philippine Mavericks at ang pagkakasama ni World No. 1 Serena Williams ay magbibigay ng lakas sa koponan para makuha ang korona sa International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) na nakatakda sa Disyembre 2 sa Japan.
Hahataw para sa Mavericks sina Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Fil-Am doubles specialist Treat Huey at Australian legend Mark Philippoussis na pumalit kina Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova, Carlos Moya, Daniel Nestor, Kristen Flipkens at substitute Philip Kohlscheiber.
Sa Manila leg lang naglaro sina Murray, Sharapova at Moya na ‘di sumama sa Singapore, India at United Arab Emirates noong nakaraang taon kaya tumapos ang Mavericks ng kabuuang 6-6 win-loss record at may 4-0 marka sa Singapore at 1-3 baraha sa UAE at India para sa third place finish.
Naglaro lamang sina Murray, Sharapova at Moya sa Manila leg ng IPTL.
“I spoke with Treat about his IPTL experience and he told me the Manila leg was the best of all,” sabi ni Kraut. “Our fans were the most enthusiastic and cheered the loudest. We came out not only for the Mavericks but even for the other teams. Dubai had the biggest arena but there were no crowds. India had big crowds but only for the India matches. Our venue, the Mall of Asia Arena, was also the best and most impressive stadium. I think the IPTL created a major impact in terms of reintroducing tennis as an exciting sport. I’ve heard that a lot more kids are now playing. Definitely, the interest for tennis got a big kick. And this season will be even more exciting for our fans because the Mavericks will be title contenders.”