Kyrgios thinks ban will help him push for top 10 in 2017

SYDNEY - Australian world number 13 Nick Kyrgios thinks his ATP-imposed suspension will stand him in good stead when he makes a push for the top 10 next season.

The 21-year-old rose to a career high ranking this year but his tour season ended with a $25,000 fine and a two-month ban from the ATP for not trying in a match at the Shanghai Masters.

The ban was reduced to three weeks after he agreed to see a sports psychologist.


"The ATP wanted me to see a psychologist to help me out and I've been doing that," Kyrgios told Fox Sports after helping the Singapore Slammers to the Indian Premier League Tennis title in Hyderabad on Sunday.

"It's actually been good, just relaxing a little bit, spending more time with my family and my girlfriend as well.

"So the suspension, one way to look at it, is getting more time off with the people you love and I've been training as well, so it's set me up in good stead for 2017.

"Obviously I wouldn't have wanted to get suspended but it gave me time to think about and analyse what I've got to get better at."

The tempestuous Kyrgios, Australia's brightest hope of a men's grand slam champion since Lleyton Hewitt, clinched his first three titles this year in Atlanta, Marseille and Tokyo.

He also dubbed his effort losing to Andy Murray at Wimbledon as "pretty pathetic", however, and withdrew himself from contention for the Olympics after a public slanging match with Australia's team leader for the Rio Games.

A week after his Tokyo triumph, he clashed with fans as well as the chair umpire at the Shanghai Masters and walked off court midway through a point against Mischa Zverev.

"It's been a rollercoaster, we had a lot of highs, a lot of lows," Kyrgios added.

"But ultimately, my ranking jumped from about 30 to 13, so that's a successful year.

"I've got a couple of guys in my team who hopefully can help me push for that top 10 spot next year.

"It was a fun year. I did a lot of fun things. I got Australia back in the world group of the Davis Cup, won a couple of titles, so it's been a good year so hopefully I can back it up in 2017."

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Federer, Serena skip IPTL over India cash crunch

NEW DELHI, India -- Tennis stars Roger Federer and Serena Williams have both pulled out of an exhibition tournament in India next week as a result of the country's cash crunch, organizers said Tuesday.

The two former world number ones had been the big-name draws of the Indian leg of this year's International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) which is scheduled to take place in Hyderabad from December 9-11.

But the IPTL said in a statement it was "sad to announce that Roger Federer and Serena Williams won't participate at this year's IPTL", citing the "uncertainty" sparked by the government's decision last month to withdraw high-denomination notes from circulation.

"We have had challenges this year, and we were hoping to get past them," said Mahesh Bhupathi, the veteran Indian tennis player who is a founder and managing director of the IPTL.

"With the current economic climate in India and the uncertainty of spending money, I reached out to both Roger and Serena to explain the situation," said Bhupathi, but he was ultimately unable to convince them to appear as planned.

"They have been both been very supportive of the IPTL the first two seasons and we look forward to bring them in future years."


The tournament was to have marked the comeback of 35-year-old Federer, who has been sidelined since July with knee problems.

The government's so-called "demonetization" scheme has caused major cash shortages across India, with big queues outside banks now commonplace after authorities placed a daily limit on withdrawals.

Hyderabad is the third and final leg of this year's IPTL which promotes a shortened version of the game that organisers say is more television-friendly than the traditional format.

The first leg was held in Tokyo from December 2-4, while the second leg begins later Tuesday in Singapore.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nadal and Serena inspire wins for Aces and Mavericks in IPTL

The Indian Aces and the Philippine Mavericks continued their impressive run in this year's International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) with victories in the second stage of the tournament in Manila.

Rafael Nadal, in his first IPTL showing, secured a clean sweep for the team with a 6-5 victory over UAE Royal's Tomas Berdych on Monday (December 7).

Earlier in the day, a win for Samantha Stosur, and a men's doubles victory for Nadal and Ivan Dodig over Daniel Nestor and Berdych, had already put the Aces in an unassailable position when Nadal took to the court for the singles clash with the backing of the crowd in Manila.

However, the Czech fought had to push Nadal all the way but eventually the Spaniard claimed victory to secure an overall victory of 30-18.

The Aces victory moves them to top of the IPTL table with three wins from three.

After his victory, Nadal said the IPTL format was a lot of fun.

"I enjoyed it. I have a great team around, funny people. And I think we played quite well, it was a different way to play tennis," said the world number five.

Closely behind the Aces in the overall table are the Philippine Mavericks, who were cheered on by a raucous home crowd on Monday.

Serena Williams and Milos Raonic combined to win the mixed doubles 6-4 over Japan Warriors' Pierre-Huges Herbert and Mirjan Lucic-Baroni, after the Warriors had put the home team under pressure with a 6-3 victory for Philipp Kohlschreiber over Richard Gasquet in the men's singles.

However, after Williams' doubles victory she then dispatched Lucic-Baroni 6-3 in the women's singles on the way to a 25-21 overall victory for the Mavericks.

The Mavericks are now second in the overall table with three wins from four matches.

The top two meet on Wednesday (December 8) in the final round of matches in the Manila stage of the competition.

The event then moves onto New Delhi on December 10.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nadal: Vintage Rafa will be back next year

An improved Rafael Nadal will show up for the 2016 season, the world's former top tennis player said Monday after his worst season in a decade.

The 29-year-old Spaniard, now ranked number five, declared himself healthy and optimistic for next year after a late 2015 rally that saw him beat all but two of the world's top 10 players he has faced since October.

"I think it's obvious that I did not have the best season possible, but I am number five in the world so actually it's not a disaster," he told reporters in Manila.

"I don't know if I'm going to win it (number one) back, (but) I'm working hard to create opportunities to compete for the best tournaments and I'm working so hard to try to make that happen."

He had surgery to remove his appendix in late 2014 after various problems with his knees, hamstrings and back.

Nadal's world ranking sunk to number 10 earlier this year when his long reign as a French Open champion ended.

He also had embarrassingly early exits from Wimbledon and the US Open.

But the left-hander, with 14 Grand Slam titles to his name including a record nine French Open crowns, has since enjoyed a resurgence in form.

He defeated the likes of Andy Murray, David Ferrer and Stan Wawrinka in the group stages of the season-ending World Tour Finals in London before losing to world number one Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

"I think I finished it very well this season and I want to continue it that way," he said Monday.

Nadal is in the Philippine capital this week to play in a parallel International Premier Tennis League tour, which promotes a shortened, speeded-up version of the game.

Showing few signs of his struggles in the previous months, the Spaniard swiftly won over the crowd with his signature intensity over two sets, grunting, chasing and diving after seemingly lost causes all over the court.

He beat world number six Tomas Berdych 6-5 (7/3) in the men's singles after teaming up with Croatian Ivan Dodig to defeat Berdych and Canadian Daniel Nestor in the men's doubles, 6-3.

Even as he nears 30, Nadal rejected suggestions it might be time to adjust his playing style, maybe in the mould of his great rival Roger Federer, to make him last longer in the tour.

"I'm not Federer, I'm Rafael Nadal. He has his style and I have my own style. I for sure try to improve many things during all my career and for sure I'm working hard to be a better player.

"And if I am a better player for sure I will have the chance to play a bit longer."

Nadal said he was treating the IPTL tour, which began in Japan and will also have stops in India, Dubai and Singapore this month, as part of his preparation for the 2016 season.

Nadal is expected to compete next month in the Australian Open, which he has won just once.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Federer, Djokovic enthrall New Delhi

Roger Federer played Novak Djokovic to a draw in the men's singles showdown, allowing the world No. 1's UAE Royals to down the Swiss Maestro's Indian Aces in their International Premier Tennis League match-up in New Delhi.

It was a historic day for Indian tennis, as fans at the Indira Gandhi Indoor stadium witnessed a showdown between Federer and Djokovic in a high-power display of tennis.

"It was great to be here in India for the first time," Djokovic said after the match. "It was a unique and valuable experience. The people, the kindness, the hospitality strikes me right away."

The match between the Aces and the Royals was witnessed by a packed house that included some of India's biggest stars: Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Riteish Deshmukh and Sunil Gavaskar.

The final night of the IPTL's New Delhi leg was kicked off by the women's singles set between Kristina Mladenovic and Ana Ivanovic.

Both players performed equally well to reach even scores, but it was Mladenovic who won a gripping five-minute shootout to claim the set, 6-5.

In a match-up of past champions, a confident Goran Ivanisevic thrived on his IPTL experience, while 14-time Grand Slam Pete Sampras gave the crowds a small taste of his greatness. Sampras was eventually subbed out in favor of Aces team captain Fabrice Santoro, who tried his best but it was Ivanisevic who won, 6-3.

In the mixed doubles set, Federer replaced Rohan Bopanna to pair up with Sania Mirza, but the substitution was not enough as Maldenovic and Nenad Zimonjic racked up a 6-2 victory.

The Aces finally got on the winning track when Federer teamed up with Gael Monfils for an enthralling men's doubles set against Djokovic, who replaced Marin Cilic, and Zimonjic.

The set reached 5-5, setting in motion a shootout that went down the wire but was eventually won by the Aces.

In an encounter that the nation was waiting to watch, Djokovic and Federer met in the men's singles set an created magic on court.

With majestic shot making and geometric precision, the two giants played a neck-and-neck set, which went to another shootout but eventually ended in a 6-6 stalemate.

"The match with Novak was great," Federer said. "I think we both played a good game at a great level. I think he struggled initially, but managed to pull up in the end."

"I was also very happy with my level of performance," he added. "Playing Novak in India is special. It was a thrilling match, and I thoroughly enjoyed it."

The draw meant that Djokovic's Royals won with an aggregate score of 29-22, cutting into the Aces' lead in the overall table.

The Aces still top the table with 30 points, but the Royals and the Manila Mavericks are on their heels with 27 points. The Singapore Slammers bring up the rear with 17 points.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Indian Aces win again in Federer's IPTL debut

Swiss superstar Roger Federer was given a tremendous welcome by a capacity crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi when he made his debut for the Indian Aces in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) Sunday.

"It's my first time in India playing tennis, so it's a big deal for me," said world No. 2 Federer. "I thought it's a great innovation, people seem happy to see me. I was excited when I saw the lights flashing while introducing me."

"It was a goose-bump atmosphere," he added. "It was definitely a very cool moment for me in my career."

Federer was not the only tennis superstar to make his IPTL debut; 14-time Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras also suited up for the Aces for the first time but lost in the first set to Patrick Rafter of the Singapore Slammers.

After losing the first set, however, the Aces never looked back as they dominated the Slammers the rest of the way.

The electrifying second set saw Federer team up with Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles as they turned back Singapore's Nick Kyrgios and Daniela Hantuchova, 6-0, to delight the crowd.

Federer returned to the court in the men's doubles, where he paired up with Rohan Bopanna. The duo played an adrenaline-pumping set that saw them defeat the all-Australian pair of Kyrgios and Lleyton Hewitt, 6-1.

Tomas Berdych then tested Federer in the men's singles set, as fans witnessed a display worthy of two top ten players. Berdych put up a brave show of talent, winning four sets, but could not keep up with Federer's brilliance in the end.

"I'm happy to have done well for my team today," Federer said after the match. "It's been a while since I played mixed doubles. In the past, I've played with Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis, and my wife. Playing with Sania today was fun."

The final set saw Ana Ivanovic and Daniela Hantuchova engage in a thrilling encounter that went to a 5-5 tie, but it was Ivanovic who won the five-minute shootout to cap a sterling night for the Indian Aces.

The Aces won the match 26-16 and remain on top of the league table with 28 overall points.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Murray wraps up IPTL stint, looks to Australian Open

MANILA, Philippines – World No. 6 Andy Murray ended his stint in the inaugural edition of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) by beating up-and-coming Australian Nick Kyrgios, and is now looking forward to his preparations for the 2015 Australian Open.

Murray dragged the big-serving Kyrgios into a five-minute shootout, which ended in dramatic fashion when the Australian's last forehand hit the net seconds before the final buzzer, giving Murray a 7-5 win in the shootout.

"Personally, I hadn't won a match this week," said Murray. "I lost a couple of close ones in the first day."

Murray said he and the rest of the Manila Mavericks "wanted to try and win to finish the weekend."

"I thought everyone performed better," he said. "The attitude of the team was very good throughout."

Murray won't play in any of the other legs of the IPTL, which moves to Singapore, New Delhi, and then Dubai. Instead, he is set to start his preparations for the first Slam of the year, the Australian Open.

"The immediately plan is obviously the Australian Open," Murray said. "I start training for that in about five or six days, I'm going to Miami. I've got about six weeks before the beginning of the tournament, so that's the immediate goal."

Murray won the Wimbledon in 2013 but had an up-and-down season in 2014 as he struggled to recover from his back injury. He failed to defend his Wimbledon title but saw his form improved late in the season, making it to the ATP World Tour Finals.

"It was tough. There were some good moments and some bad moments," Murray said of his 2014 campaign. "You go through that in sport. It's not always perfect, not always how you want it."

"You need to accept that, you need to respect that as well," he said. "In the beginning of the year, I was finding that difficult to handle, coming back from the back surgery. But as the year went on, I started to deal with it better, and my form improved."

"I hope next year, I can play my best tennis again."

Murray reached the finals of the Australian Open in 2013, losing to Novak Djokovic.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Serena surprised, delighted at Filipinos' reception

MANILA -- Tennis superstar Serena Williams admitted she was surprised yet also thrilled at how she was welcomed by Filipino fans at the SM Mall of Asia Arena when she made her debut for the Singapore Slammers in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL).

Williams played only in the last day of the Manila leg and was given the rock star treatment by Filipino fans, who cheered loudest when she made her entrance and watched her every move even when simply warming up.

"The reception was amazing," Williams said after the match. "It's been amazing. Everyone was so nice. I mean, just walking out here, just warming up and hearing the crowd was really spectacular and unexpected."

"I feel honored to feel that," said the world number one.

Asked why she didn't expect to get such a warm welcome, Williams explained: "Well, I've never played here (before)."

"It's so good to come to countries like this because then you realize that we have fans everywhere," she added.

The Filipinos' love for Williams extended well outside the tennis court, as chants of "Se-re-na, Se-re-na," inundated the superstar as she exited the MOA Arena.

Williams unfortunately lost her debut, as she and Lleyton Hewitt bowed to Andy Murray and Kirsten Flipkens in the mixed doubles set. Williams was subpar in the mixed doubles, with her returns going long. She also seemed surprised when her team called for a "Happiness Power Point," one of the new innovations of the league.

She performed much better in the women's singles, beating Flipkens 6-3 and drawing oohs and ahhs from the fans with her shot-making.

"It wasn't easy, but I had a lot of fun," Williams said after her set.

Later, she said that Flipkens "played really well" and "made (the set) really entertaining for the crowd."

"I was happy to be out there. I was pumped, the crowd was pumped. We all think it was a really good match," she said.

Williams is set to join her team in Singapore, where the Slammers will try to win their first match after having lost all three matches in Manila.

"We don't really have a sense of urgency, but we just know that we want to do well in Singapore," she said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

IPTL 'off to a good start,' says founder

MANILA, Philippines – The International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) is off to a good start as both the tennis stars and fans clearly enjoyed the league's innovative format and atmosphere, founder Mahesh Bhupathi said at the conclusion of the inaugural tour's first leg in Manila.

When the IPTL opened last Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena, there were several questions and criticism about Bhupathi's brainchild, which aimed to not only shorten the matches but add a more festive atmosphere to the sport.

Three days later, the ex-doubles specialist pronounced the event a success, saying: "With the kind of high we started off in Manila, I can safely say we are off to a good start."

Attendance at the MOA Arena grew each day, and Filipino fans gave the rock star treatment to Grand Slam winners like Andy Murray, Marin Cilic, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, and Serena Williams, legends like Goran Ivanisevic and Pat Rafter, and of course to local star Treat Huey.

Yet even lesser known stars like Gael Monfils and Nick Kyrgios became darlings of the crowd thanks to their entertaining performances. The Frenchman Monfils quickly became a fan favorite not only because of his style of play on the court but also due to his superb dance moves off it.

"The fans here really took to the format," said Bhupathi.

Indeed, fans clearly enjoyed the cheerful atmosphere of the event, with a DJ blasting music in between sets and even after a particularly stirring point. There were also t-shirt giveaways, and dancers performing at regular intervals.

But Bhupathi is happiest to see how the players themselves accepted and enjoyed the format of the league and its new quirks, among them a 20-second shot clock and a "Happiness Power Point."

"I think for us, the most important part was the players enjoyed the format immensely," he said Sunday at the conclusion of the Manila leg. "They got into the team spirit. If you see the pictures that are coming out of the matches daily, of them celebrating or pushing each other, the format has been accepted, which was our biggest risk."

"So now, with the entertainment part of it, with the DJ and the music, and the song and the dance, and great tennis on top of that, I think we just have to make sure that we sustain this momentum going into the next three legs," he added.

Bhupathi, however, made it clear that he is not aiming for the IPTL format to "supplant" the current format of the sport.

"No, we have time and space for all formats," he said. "The Grand Slams will still be the pillars of our sport, because they are institutions of their own, but I think, after what we've seen over the last three days, there is a place for out format."

"It's going to be a special event especially as long as we can make sure these top stars enjoy it like they did these three days," he added.

Bhupathi believes the success of the IPTL in Manila has answered the questions about the league and silenced the skeptics.

"Yesterday, when I was at lunch, somebody told me that they have been talking about the IPTL for a long time, but nobody really believed that these stars would actually show up in Manila," he said. "So I think that myth is out of the window now."

"So when we announce the players for 2015, hopefully at the end of February, then hopefully people will start getting excited a lot earlier for the next season," he added.

The IPTL moves to Singapore from December 2-4, and to New Delhi from December 6-8, before making its final stop in Dubai from December 11-13.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Indian Aces top table after IPTL Manila leg

MANILA, Philippines -- The Indian Aces proved to be the best team so far in the inaugural International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) as they defeated the UAE Royals, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, and 6-4 in the final day of the Manila leg Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Frenchman Gael Monfils was the star of the night for the Aces, as he lifted them to victory in the men's doubles and in the men's singles, while Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza continued their winning run in the mixed doubles.

The Aces' 28-20 aggregate victory over the Royals means that they are now at the top of the table at the end of the opening leg of the IPTL.

"I love this format, and I love this event," said Monfils, who by the second day of the IPTL had become the darling of the crowd. "I think we have fun our there, and we are good friends (among the team)."

"It was a good pick for our team... We have fun out there, but still, we are serious on the court, so for me, it's great," he added.

Both the Royals and the Aces were unbeaten entering Sunday's match, having won their Friday and Saturday matches.

The Royals got off to a winning start after Kristina Mladenovic stunned world No. 5 and crowd favorite Ana Ivanovic in the women's singles set, 6-4.

The pair of Bopanna and Mirza put the Aces on the win column with a great performance in the mixed doubles, beating Mladenovic and Nenad Zimonjic. Bopanna and Mirza again showed off the chemistry that allowed them to beat the superstar pair of Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova Saturday night.

Bopanna then teamed up with Monfils in the men's singles, and they combined to see off Zimonjic and Cilic in an entertaining set that saw the Frenchman thrill the crowd with his athletic moves.

Monfils entertained the crowd in the break between sets as well, dancing to the tune of "Teach Me How to Dougie" and playing to the audience, who eagerly cheered and applauded his every move.

Against Cilic in the men's singles, Monfils showed that he was as great a tennis player as he was a dancer, taking a 2-1 advantage against the U.S. Open champion who seemed to struggle with his return.

Ahead of the fourth game, the Royals substituted Tunisian world No. 80 Malek Jaziri in place of Cilic, and the move seemed to briefly throw off Monfils as Jaziri tied the set at 2-2.

"I was a bit surprised, and at the end, I hope that Marin is good," said Monfils. "You know, I know Malik, I've played against him (before), and I know he is tough."

"Maybe not everybody knows that he is this good, but he's very strong," he added.

Monfils quickly regained his composure, however, winning the next two games in quick fashion. Jaziri salvaged a game to make it 3-4, but Monfils showed remarkable shot-making in the eight game, winning a sensational rally through a perfectly placed lob. His momentum carried into the ninth game, where he blanked Jaziri to seal the win.

"I was in great shape at the end of the game," said Monfils.

The final set of the match pitted Fabrice Santoro against another crowd favorite, Goran Ivanisevic, in the legends set. Ivanisevic, as he had done all throughout the Manila leg, played to the audience all throughout, but Santoro broke his serve in the final game to cap the win for the Aces.

The Indian Aces now have 12 points to top the table at the end of the Manila leg, while the Royals settled for 10 points after losing their last match.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Murray defends decision to keep Maurismo as head coach

MANILA -- British tennis superstar Andy Murray defended his decision to keep Amelie Maurismo as head coach on Friday (November 28), following coaching changes after an overwhelming defeat in the ATP World Tour.

Murray, along with tennis superstars like Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, is taking part in the three-day inaugural match-up in Manila for the first leg of the International Premier Tennis League competition.

Murray was defeated 6-5 by Croatian Marin Cilic in a five-minute shootout match at the start of the tournament on Friday (November 28).

Speaking at a post-match news conference, the Scot spoke about the type of training he wanted from Mauresmo and his goal on improving his ranking next year.

"Amelie always speaks about me going aggressively and never once spoken to me about trying to play defensive tennis, this was all that we practise, that's the set of mindset and gamestyle that I want to play. Sometimes you know it hasn't been possible, but you know we only spent six or seven weeks together, and since Wimbledon, I you know the match, sort of five or six weeks, and the off season, and the build up to the Australian open, I get to practice and things and I can work on some more stuff," he said.

Murray's overwhelming loss to Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals brought the British tennis player to consider changing his coaching team, ending a long-time working relationship with his friends Dani Vallverdu and Jez Green.

US Open champion Marin Cilic was happy with his performance against Murray.

"It's tough to say because the rules are new and it's a different atmosphere. You play doubles for example, and you're sitting on the bench, cheering up your team mate and then you have to be ready for your match,to adjust different, and we need to adjust to be a little bit better better, so I think our match was on a good level and I think we had good rallies, and I played pretty good so you know Im happy to that," he said.

Modelled on the successful Indian Premier League cricket competition, the IPTL format involves a five-set format made up of a men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, mixed doubles and a past champions' singles match.

Players from the four teams competed in the new format, which used a team-scoring system, a 20-second shot clock and a call called a "power point" which players can make to double their point once per set.

Micromax Indian Aces dominated the first game against the Singapore Slammers, with mixed doubles partners Rohan Bopana and Sanria Mirza defeating Bruno Soares and Daniela Hatchunova. Succeeding matches led by Fabrice Santoro and Ana Ivanovic sealed the team's victory.

The Manila Mavericks lost to the UAE Royals on the second game, as Murray lost to Cilic in the men's singles.

Maria Sharapova managed to acquire the Maverick's only victory after defeating Kirstin Mlandenovic in the Women's Singles. Murray and Sharapova teamed up in the mixed doubles, but ultimately lost to Nenad Zimonjic and Kristina Mladenovic.

The competition in Manila will continue until Sunday (November 31), with further events taking place in Singapore, India and Dubai next month.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sharapova wants better health and tennis next year

MANILA -- Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova said on Saturday that her main goals for next year are to stay healthy and improve her play.

Speaking in the Philippines, where she has been playing in the International Premier Tennis League team tournament, the 27-year-old Russian told a news conference: "Well, I think my main goal will (be to) continue to be healthy. At the end of last year I missed about four or five months out of this season and I came into his season not having many expectations, because I was actually quite happy putting a lot of things into perspective and coming out on the court.

"I started the year at number four. I was in a position many times during the year to fall out of the top 10 and I finished the year at number two. So it's been quite a successful year and next year I set myself much bigger goals."

Sharapova said she enjoyed being part of a team in Manila.

"The best thing is the team atmosphere. It's so different than what we do in such an individual sport. So it's always nice to do, to be able to huddle around as a team and get that support, keep each other going out there," she said.

Asked about her longer term future, Sharapova said: "I don't have a crystal ball, but yeah, I still have a tremendous amount of passion for what I do, I love playing the sport and I hope that my body is healthy enough to continue for a few more years. You know, personally I would love to start a family one day, but I think that's in the future at this point."

Indian player Sania Mirza is also in the tournament and she said it was great to face top stars.

"...it feels good. I mean, it's good to win every match. You know we get into every match, we are trying to win, we are fighting. The whole team is fighting a lot and you know, so it was great to be up and then to obviously, you know, beat the great players. Everyone's a great player here, so everyone is a champion at least. Some, you know most of them are grand slam champions or number ones in the world. So winning any match here is very exciting."

Modelled on the successful Indian Premier League cricket competition, the IPTL involves a five-set format made up of a men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, mixed doubles and a past champions' singles match.

The competition in Manila will continue until Sunday (November 30), with Serena Williams joining the Indian Aces. Further league events will be take place next month in Singapore, India and Dubai.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Team spirit is key to Royals' success, says Mladenovic

MANILA, Philippines -- The UAE Royals have won both of their matches in the inaugural edition of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) so far and Serbian world no. 68 Kristina Mladenovic believes their success is due to their team spirit.

The Royals are bannered by Mladenovic, reigning U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, former champion Goran Ivanisevic, and doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic. Their highest-ranked player, world no. 1 Novak Djokovic, did not make the trip to Manila with the team.

Yet even without Djokovic, the Royals are racking up the points, beating the hometown Manila Mavericks in their opener on Friday, and then downing the Singapore Slammers Saturday night.

"We're really glad to be two wins up," said Mladenovic. "We really have an amazing team."

"We see the other teams, and on the paper they seem incredible, the champions. We also have amazing players in our team, but we were laughing about it between ourselves yesterday," she added, noting that the Mavericks featured a line-up that included Grand Slam winners Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova.

"And we beat them," Mladenovic said with a laugh. "By my side, we also have Marin (Cilic), we have Grand Slam winners as well like Goran (Ivanisevic) and (Nenad) Zimonjic in the doubles, but still, you know what I mean, it's not quite the same."

Moreover, Mladenovic noted that the MOA Arena crowd was rooting against them last night as they were playing against "big champions."

"But we are enjoying and having a lot of fun, and I think our strength is that maybe, we want it more than the other teams," she theorized. "Even if maybe they are players with the bigger names, we have this team spirit, fighting spirit."

"We enjoy ourselves, push ourselves, and fist bump and jump all over the court and try to give each other support."

Mladenovic and the Royals hope to end the Manila leg of the IPTL on a strong note Sunday night when they play against the Indian Aces, with Mladenovic potentially taking on another crowd favorite in Ana Ivanovic in the women's singles.

"It's one more match. Lots of matches for me, and a fifth one tomorrow, and I'm definitely looking forward to it," she said. "Ana is a really good friend of mine. We'll try to enjoy and for both of us to play our best game and surprise the crowd, and I hope to win more games for my team."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Indian Aces rout Singapore Slammers in IPTL clash

MANILA, Philippines -- The Indian Aces won four out of five sets against the Singapore Slammers Friday evening at the SM Mall of Asia Arena to win the first ever International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) match.

Ana Ivanovic and Gael Monfils of the Aces drew the loudest cheers from the MOA Arena crowd as they routed their overmatched opponents in the women's and men's singles, respectively.

But it was the pair of Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza who got the party started for the Aces, as they defeated the pair of Bruno Soares and Daniela Hantuchova, 6-4, in the mixed doubles.

Indian Aces playing coach Fabrice Santoro and Singapore's Patrick Rafter put on a show in a match-up of past champions, as they battled to a 5-5 draw that triggered the first-ever five minute shootout in IPTL history.

It was Santoro who won the shootout, 8-4, giving the Aces a 2-0 set lead and a 12-9 advantage in games won.

The Slammers pulled one back in the men's doubles, as the pair of Tomas Berdych and Nicholas Kyrgios beat Monfils and Bopanna, 2-0.

The Aces dominated the singles matches, however, as the charismatic Ivanovic thoroughly outclassed Hantuchova, 6-0, to the delight of the crowd, and Monfils booked an entertaining 6-1 victory over Lleyton Hewitt.

"It's a great team, I couldn't ask for a better team," Ivanovic said in a brief post-match press conference. "I'm really happy to spend time with all of them. The team spirit was great, we were laughing a lot and trying to make jokes, and I think Fabrice is a great captain."

Monfils became the first victim of the much discussed "shot clock," when, leading 3-1, he failed to serve by the time the clock expired and Hewitt was awarded a point.

The Frenchman made a fuss at the umpire, even going back to his own bench, but eventually returned to serve and won the next three games handily.

"I think everyone found the 20-second rule quite interesting," said Ivanovic. "It was very fast, especially with the ball sometimes not being in place, and it was a bit faster and a bit more dynamic."

Another new feature, the "Happiness Power Point," also repeatedly came into play. Mirza and Bopanna used the power point in the first set to win a game while up 30-15, and Rafter, Ivanovic, and Monfils also won power points in their respective sets.

The Aces had a 25-16 lead in terms of games won.

As promised by the organizers ahead of the competition, the sets were much faster than fans and even the players had gotten used to, thanks to the shot clock that timed the serves and the no-ad rule.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Maria Sharapova visits Palawan

MANILA, Philippines – Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova enjoyed the beaches of Palawan weeks before her scheduled games at the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL).

The 27-year-old stunner posted pictures of her Palawan visit on her Instagram account.

Sharapova told ABS-CBN’s Dyan Castillejo that she learned about the place through the Internet and her interactions with friends online.

"It's a trip I wanted to take for many years. So I kind of went around these islands with my friends. It was really fun," she said.

She added that the Filipinos’ hospitality made the trip even more fulfilling.

“The people were so generous, it made the trip so great."

Sharapova will be joining other tennis superstar in Manila for the inaugural IPTL which begins on Friday.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

It's Murray vs. Cilic, Monfils vs. Berdych in IPTL Day 1

MANILA, Philippines -- The inaugural edition of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) looks to get off to a blazing start when the Indian Aces take on the Singapore Slammers while the Manila Mavericks defend their home court against the UAE Royals at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Friday.

The revolutionary new tennis league, which aims to "break the code" of tennis' traditional format, begins at 4 p.m. with the Fabrice Santoro-coached Aces going up against Josh Eagle's Slammers.

First up will be the men's singles showdown between world no. 18 Gael Monfils of the Aces against world no. 7 Tomas Berdych of the Slammers.

Up next is the women's singles showdown between Ana Ivanovic and Daniela Hantuchova, followed by a men's doubles wherein Monfils will team up with Rohan Bopanna to take on Bruno Soares and Lleyton Hewitt.

A mixed doubles match will then pit Bopanna and Sania Mirza against Hantuchova and Soares, and the first group tie will be capped by a legends singles showdown between Indian Aces playing coach Fabrice Sontoro against Patrick Rafter.

The hometown Manila Mavericks will make their IPTL debut at 7:30 p.m., when world no. 6 Andy Murray faces off against world no. 9 and reigning U.S. champion Marin Cilic.

The women's singles will see Maria Sharapova take on Kristina Mladenovic, who took the place of the injured Eugenie Bouchard in the UAE Royals line-up.

Filipino-American tennis star Treat Huey will then team up with Daniel Nestor in the men's doubles, where they will take on the pair of Cilic and Nenad Zimonjic.

The first day of the IPTL will be capped by a legends showdown between Carlos Moya of the Manila Mavericks and Goran Ivanisevic of the UAE Royals.

Players and coaches competing in the league have expressed their excitement with the new tournament format, which is designed to make the sport more attractive to fans both inside the MOA Arena and to those watching on television.

The traditional scoring format has been changed to a single-set, no-add scoring, which will speed up the game and allow the fans to witness 24 different players compete in one evening.

Each match will consist of five sets to be played by different players, and each game won counts as one point for the team's points total. The team that wins the most games overall across the five sets wins the match.

The order of play will be decided by the home team, and the team line-up is given to the umpire 45 minutes before the match starts. In the case of the two away teams, the order of play will be determined by a coin toss.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Murray: IPTL stars to dish out their best

MANILA, Philippines - Former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray can only guarantee one thing when the three-day International Premier Tennis League is played starting tomorrow at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Murray said everybody will give their best.

The two-time Grand Slam winner will team up with Maria Sharapova, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Kirsten Flipkens, Daniel Nestor, Carlos Moya and the Philippines’ Treat Huey for the Manila Mavericks.

“We win as a team and we lose as a team and I’m sure we will all do our best to support each other,” said Murray ahead of today’s press conference at Edsa Shangri-La.

“There are some great players in our team. I’m going to make sure I’m prepared and try to play as best as I can. Obviously I don’t want to reveal too much, just in case our rivals are reading this,” he said.

Other teams vying for the $1 million top prize are the Singapore Slammers, Indian Aces and UAE Royals. From Manila, they travel to Singapore (Dec. 2 to 4), New Delhi (Dec. 6 to 8) and Dubai (Dec. 11 to 13).

Playing for the Singapore Slammers are Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, Tomas Berdych, Lleyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios, Daniela Hantuchova, Bruno Soares and Patrick Rafter.

For the Indian Aces, hitting their best shots are Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Gael Monfils, Ana Ivanovic, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bonanna and Rohan Santoro.

Leading the charge of the UAE Royals are Novak Djokovic, Caroline Wozniacki, Malek Jaziri, Nemad Zimonjik, Goran Ivanisevic, Eugenie Bouchard and Marin Cilic.

“It’s definitely exciting to be part of it in the first year,” Murray said.

On the side, the 2013 Wimbledon champion said he wants to meet Manny Pacquiao, who got a special invite from the IPTL to watch the matches live.

On paper, the Manila Mavericks are the hottest team, mainly because of the presence of Sharapova.

“I just wanted to say how excited I am to finally be coming all the way to the Philippines for the first time in my career,” said Sharapova in a video message posted at www.manilamavericks.com .

“I’m gonna be playing for the Manila Mavericks so I hope all of you gets the chance to watch me play and support me and of course, hope for the win,” she said.

For most of these tennis stars, it will be their first visit to the Philippines, and also their first time playing under the IPTL format.

“Playing in Manila will be fun. The fans there don’t get to see a lot of live tennis, so that will be good. I like the format,” Murray also said.

Part of the innovations are time-outs, power points, shootouts, a running shot clock, Hawk-eye and live entertainment.

“People are excited. How can you not be,” said IPTL managing director Mahesh Bhupathi.

Read more on The Philippine Star

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Murray welcomes IPTL team format

MANILA, Philippines - Fresh off his win at Valencia and Vienna, World No. 8 Andy Murray is participating in the inaugural International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), a pioneering new event that promises to revolutionize the way the world looks at tennis and transcend the popularity of the much-loved sport.

Murray is pleased about the League, which brings the thrill of the well-liked format to a sport that is followed by millions across the world.

“It’s definitely exciting to be part of it in the first year,” he said.

The new sporting spectacle will “Break the Code” of the traditional etiquette of tennis, bringing the excitement of a team based competition.

Talking about his love for team sport, Murray said, “I like the format. Tennis is an individual sport and you don’t get to interact with others during your matches that much. When I was younger I used to play a lot of football, and I always enjoyed being part of a team, so being able to have that feeling of being part of a team again will be good.”

Murray is playing for the Manila Mavericks, IPTL’s Manila franchise, alongside icons such as Maria Sharapova, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Kirsten Flipkens, Daniel Nestor, Carlos Moya and top Philippines player Treat Huey.

“Playing in Manila will be fun. The fans there don’t get to see a lot of live tennis, so that will be good. With the season being so busy, it can be difficult to take a holiday so you don’t often get to travel anywhere different to the countries on the tour,” said the 27-year-old star.

What’s more, with exciting features such as time-outs, power points, shoot outs, a running shot clock, Hawk-eye and live entertainment, the League promises to fulfill the increasing demand for top-level tennis in Asia.

“Attracting new fans to the sport is important and I’m looking forward to helping take tennis somewhere new. The IPTL format is something that has never been done before and there are many different aspects that make it interesting.

“The shot clock is a great idea and will speed play up and make tennis even more exciting for the fans with the shorter breaks between points. The fact that every game counts toward the team score is also a great idea, you’re not just playing for yourself, you have to think about your teammates as well and put them in as strong a position as possible at the end of your own set in the match,” he said.

Treat Huey, 28, is the Philippines’ No. 1 and current ATP Doubles World No. 53. The player’s fans will get to see him live in action at a home event for the first time.

Speaking about his home teammate, Murray feels Treat is a great doubles player and happy that one of the teams is based in Manila for the player.

“It’ll be a special time playing in front of his home crowd, which is something he probably would never have done before on this scale,” he said.

When asked if the weight of responsibility to Manila is on his shoulders, Murray laughs.

“We win as a team and we lose as a team and I’m sure we will all do our best to support each other. There are some great players in our team. I’m going to make sure I’m prepared and try to play as best as I can and enjoy the new experience. Obviously I don’t want to reveal too much, just in case our rivals are reading this,” he said.

2014 has been a year of ups and downs for Murray.

“It has been tough. When I returned after my back surgery, it took much longer to get to back to full fitness than I had originally expected. It was a while until I felt like I could play at 100 percent again. However, over the last few months I have started to feel back in that place and have had some great matches and some great results. It was great to win Shenzhen in its first ever year and I hope the Mavericks can do the same with the IPTL,” he added.

Murray is often referred to as a sporting legend but feels he is still too young to be classed alongside people that would be given that title, explaining that he still has a few good years of my career left. I hope I can win more events and Grand Slams,” he says smiling. Murray will be visiting Manila for the first time and is looking forward to exploring the country. “Whenever I am in a new place, I like to try and take in some of the sights. I’ve heard the Intramuros in Manila is pretty spectacular. I have also heard of some great restaurants in the area, so I’m quite excited to explore. I am also hoping to meet an idol of mine, Manny Pacquiao, and I will try to get him along to a match. Am not sure what his tennis is like, but will happily give him a few tips!” he says.

Read more on The Philippine Star.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sharapova, Murray team up with Fil-Am in tennis event

MANILA, Philippines – Tennis superstars Maria Sharapova, Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will team up with Filipino-American stalwart Treat Huey in a three-day international tennis competition on November.

Sharapova, Murray, Tsonga, and Huey will join forces with Carlos Moya, Daniel Nestor and Kirsten Flipkens to make up the Manila Mavericks, who will take on the Indian Aces, the UAE Royals and the Singapore Slammers in the inaugural International Premier Tennis League (IPTL).

The Philippine leg of the IPTL will last for three days, with two matches being held for each day.

There will be five sets per match, which will be: men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, mixed doubles and legend's singles.

Fans who acquire a season pass will be entitled to attend all three days, where they can attend two matches per day.

The Philippines is the first stop of the four cities in which the Manila Mavericks will continue to represent the country to win the grand title of IPTL Champions and take home the winning purse of $1 million.

The Manila Mavericks will open their campaign against UAE on November 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Tickets are already available at www.smtickets.com. For more information on the ITPL, visit www.premiertennisleague.com.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nadal pulls out of IPTL tennis event

NEW DELHI -- Fourteen times grand slam winner Rafa Nadal has dealt a big blow to organizers of this year's International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) by pulling out of the inaugural event citing health problems.

"We regret to announce that due to health reasons, #RafaelNadal will not be playing in the #IPTL. We're rooting for you, #GetWellSoonRafa!" IPTL said in a tweet Monday.

The 28-year-old Spaniard also pulled out of the U.S. Open last month, after failing to recover from a right wrist injury he sustained in practice.

Nadal and retired American Pete Sampras, who also has 14 grand slam wins, were slated to team up for the Indian franchise in the four-team event, scheduled to be held from Nov. 28 to Dec. 13 across.

The Philippines, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates are home to the other teams and will each host a leg of the competition, styled on cricket's Indian Premier League and offering prize money of $29.7 million.

Men's world number one Novak Djokovic, his women's counterpart Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and former women's top-ranked players Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki have also confirmed their participation.

The teams will compete in men's and women's singles, men's and mixed doubles and a men's legends singles with one set per match, and no advantage scoring.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com