SERENA WILLIAMS TO LEAD MANILA MAVERICKS IN IPTL 2015
Tsonga, Gasquet, Philippousis, Lisicki, Coric join Treat Huey
JAPAN WARRIORS is 5th team in Season 2 scheduled from 2nd – 20th December 2015
Galaxy of global Tennis Stars confirmed for 2nd edition of unique team tennis competition
Manila, 13th April 2015: The global Player Draft for the second edition of the Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) was held on 12th April 2015 in Dubai. Amidst much anticipation and excitement, the team owners met to put their teams together for the second season scheduled from 2nd – 20th December 2015.
Top woman’s player Serena Williams along with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will lead the Manila Mavericks for season 2 of IPTL. The duo will be joined by team-mates Richard Gasquet, Sabine Lisicki, Mark Philippousis, Jarmila Gajdosova, tennis sensation Borna Coric, along with Philippines’ very own, Treat Huey. With Serena Williams in charge, the Manila Mavericks will be looking to challenge the dual supremacy of 2014 winners Micromax Indian Aces and UAE Royals respectively, finishing the inaugural season at No. 3 on the team standings.
Adding to the excitement in this unique team tennis competition, Japan was announced as the 5th country on the multi-nation IPTL tour for the second season in 2015 with “Japan Warriors” as the name of the home franchise to compete in the League.
Mahesh Bhupathi, on behalf of the IPTL said: “We started off to an exciting beginning in 2014. The first edition was a resounding success in terms of player and fan acceptance. Television and digital audiences enjoyed a very high level of competition, and we have set a high bar for ourselves. We are confident of building on the success of last year to come back with a bigger and better product in 2015.”
Bhupathi added: “Tennis is on a tremendous growth path in Asia led by Japan. The country boasts of 3 men’s players in the top 100. Japan coming on board as the 5th Asian country led by their top star Nishikori, proves that the league is on the right path.”
The final player line-up for all 5 teams for IPTL 2015 is as given below:
| SINGAPORE SLAMMERS | MANILA MAVERICKS | UAE ROYALS | INDIAN ACES | JAPAN WARRIORS |
| NOVAK DJOKOVIC | SERENA WILLIAMS | ROGER FEDERER | RAFAEL NADAL | MARIA SHARAPOVA |
| NICK KYRGIOS | JO-WILFRIED TSONGA | TOMAS BERDYCH | GAEL MONFILS | KEI NISHIKORI |
| KAROLINA PLISKOVA | RICHARD GASQUET | ANA IVANOVIC | AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA | VASEK POSPISIL |
| CARLOS MOYA | SABINE LISICKI | GORAN IVANISEVIC | SANIA MIRZA | LEANDER PAES |
| BELINDA BENCIC | MARK PHILIPPOUSIS | KRISTINA MLADENOVIC | IVAN DODIG | MARAT SAFIN |
| THANASI KOKKINAKIS | JARMILA GAJDOSOVA | MARIN CILIC | FABRICE SANTORO | DANIELA HANTUCHOVA |
| MARCELO MELO | BORNA CORIC | DANIEL NESTOR | ROHAN BOPANNA | LUCAS POUILLE |
| TREAT HUEY | KURUMI NARA |
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