Murray,Cilic, Sharapova, Ivanovic, Williams headline IPTL Manila leg

MANILA, Philippines – The Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) presented by Qatar Airways promises to take the country by storm with the sport’s biggest stars playing for the first time before Filipino audience beginning Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Andy Murray-Marin Cilic, Maria Sharapova-Kristina Mladenovic and the Ana Ivanovic-Daniel Hantuchova are just some of the big matches that will be highly-anticipated in the opener of the IPTL Manila leg.

“We’ve received an incredible welcome here in Manila and we’re looking forward to great matches this weekend and in many years to come,” said IPTL Chief Executive Officer Morgan Menahem during the official press conference held at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel on Thursday.

Cilic, who was also at the press conference along with the Mavericks’ Filipino-American playing-coach Treat Huey, is upbeat on the innovative format that will feature timeouts, power points, shootouts, and  running shot clock among others.

“Hopefully, we’ll see great events of tennis. I see this format to live long for many years,” Cilic, the reigning US Open champion, said.

Cilic will face Murray in the opening men’s singles match between the UAE Royals and the home team Manila Mavericks at 7:30 p.m. In the women’s singles match, Sharapova will go up against rising star Mladenovic, who replaced the injured world no. 8 Eugenie Bouchard.

Sharapova, who is scheduled to arrive before midnight, will have to shrug off jet lag in her debut on Philippine soil.

Huey will play in two doubles matches. The Fil-American Davis Cupper and three-time ATP doubles champion will first team up with Daniel Nestor in the men’s side going up against Cilic and Nenad Zimonjic. He will return on the court with Kirsten Flipkens in the mixed doubles against Mladenovic and Zimonjic.

In the legends match, it will be Mavericks’ Carlos Moya going up against Royals’ Goran Ivanisevic.

In the curtain-raiser at 4 p.m., the men’s singles match between Indian Aces’ Gael Monfils and Singapore Slammers’ Thomas Berdych will kick-off the franchise-based tournament.

All men will be glued on the women’s singles match between pretty tennis stars Hantuchova and Ivanovic.

Monfils will team up with Rohan Bopanna as they take on Lleyton Hewitt and Bruno Soares in the men’s doubles match.

Hantuchova will see action for the second time in the day in the mixed doubles pairing up with Soares as they go up against Bopanna and Sania Mirza.

Legends Fabrice Santoro will meet Patrick Rafter in the past champions singles match.

On Saturday, the most anticipated match will be the Sharapova-Ivanovic match while Serena Williams’ Philippine debut will highlight the Sunday matches.

Check the full schedule below: