Mavericks steal thriller as Nadal misfires

MANILA, Philippines - Before a boisterous hometown crowd, the Philippine Mavericks pulled off a magical win over defending champion Indian Aces last night at the close of the Manila leg of the International Premier Tennis League.

Milos Raonic, a 24-year-old Canadian who has yet to win a Grand Slam title, fired serves as fast as 227 kph to beat 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the final match, 6-5.

Raonic, with the hair and facial features of Superman, sealed a 25-24 victory for the Mavericks, who moved on top of the leaderboard with four wins and a loss after two legs.

“It’s amazing to finish on this note in Manila,” said Raonic after the match that all boiled down to the final point, which the Canadian won when Nadal hit a forehand wide.

“It could have gone either way,” said Mavericks skipper Mark Philippoussis.

Nadal was spectacular against Raonic, never giving up, winning huge points, throwing uppercuts in the air and drawing cheers like he was playing for the home team.

But in the end, it was Raonic who delivered.

After Philippoussis tripped Fabrice Santoro in the legends singles, 6-4, Nadal put on a show, teaming up with Ivan Dodig in an exciting 6-4 win over Richard Gasquet and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

It was a doubles match worth watching as the teams traded spectacular shots and hard-earned points. Nadal hit most of the good ones.

“That was a very special set, great tennis and great atmosphere. We played some amazing shots,” said Nadal, who had the female fans exploding when he changed his shirt in front of the crowd.

Zania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna continued the Aces’ onslaught when they turned back Serena Williams and Treat Huey in the mixed doubles, 6-3.

The Mavericks pair scrambled for points. Early on, they almost bumped into each other chasing the ball on the side, and Williams almost ended up sitting on the lap of Mavericks co-owner Jean Henri Lhuillier.

In the women’s singles, Williams regained her footing and ended her stint in Manila with a clear 6-3 triumph over Samantha Stosur.

The crowd sent her off with a big round of applause.

The star-studded show now moves to New Delhi for the third leg on Dec. 10 to 12, then to Abu Dhabi on Dec. 14 to 16 and Singapore for the final leg on Dec. 18 to 20.

The Aces are now in second with a 3-1 record, followed by the UAE Royals at 3-2, then the Singapore Slammers at 2-3 and Japan Warriors, winless in five matches.

Earlier in the day, Serbian beauty Ana Ivanovic finally struck for the UAE Royals, surviving Karolina Pliskova of the Singapore Slammers, 6-5, and re-igniting the Royals’ bid this year.

Ivanovic delighted the crowd with some wonderful shots to score her first singles victory in Manila. The Royals scored a 26-23 win, their first in three days in Manila.

The 28-year-old Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion, leaves Manila with a victory after losing to Williams and Samantha Stosur of the Indian Aces the past two days.

In the ninth game, she nearly crashed into a linesman but took the game for a 5-3 advantage over her opponent from the Czech Republic.

Pliskova, ranked No. 11 in the world, forced a seven-point shootout but trailed early on, 6-3. Ivanovic won the final point of the match with a well-struck forehand.

“I’m very happy I finished strong today. I’m happy to get the first victory today. It’s tough. I just had to stay composed,” said Ivanovic.

The fans sided with Ivanovic even if they applauded some points for the 23-year-old Pliskova, who someday may become a Grand Slam champion.

“There were moments when the match could have gone either way. It’s important to win every match,” said Ivanovic, waving to the crowd like a beauty queen.

“The crowd was amazing,” she said.

Quickly following Ivanovic’s footsteps was her seasoned teammate, Goran Ivanisevic who won the legends singles at the expense of Carlos Moya, 6-4.

Then Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic turned down Nick Kyrgios and Belinda Bencic, 6-4, for the Royals third victory for the day.

The UAE Royals, pre-tournament favorites this year, were unsuccessful in their first two days in Manila, losing to the Mavericks, 29-18, and the Aces, 30-18.

Marcelo Melo and Nick Kyrgios delivered for the Slammers when they outplayed Tomas Berdych and Nestor in men’s doubles, 6-4.

That narrowed the gap for the day with the Royals leading, 20-19, heading to the men’s singles between Berdych and Kyrgios.

Berdych won a thrilling battle against Kyrgios, and for a time it looked like the Slammers were capable of turning things around. But Berdych wouldn’t allow it.

Berdych sealed it for the Royals with a drop shot off the backhand. The Royals celebrated the point by forming a tight circle and jumping up and down the court.

“It was good fun. I hope you guys likes it. We’re back in the fight. It’s great to finish with a win here in Manila,” said the No. 5 player in the world.