IPTL: Tennis icon Maria Sharapova raring to go for Manila Mavericks
Shivani Gupta Manila, November 28, 2014
While she is playing in a team with local player Treat Huey, who is player-cum-coach for the Manila Mavericks in the IPTL, it is clear that fans in the city are most eager to watch World number 2 Maria Sharapova. The reigning French Open champion has a legion of fans all around the world and clearly is one of the biggest draws of Mahesh Bhupathi's league, which also features world number ones Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams and Men's number 2 Roger Federer.
Speaking exclusively to Mail Today before the start of the league and her first match, Sharapova lauded the league for going to cities where traditional top tennis tournaments are lacking. 'One of the things that drew me to this league was the opportunity to play in front of a new fan base, especially here in Manila. You really see the excitement for sports here, especially for tennis. I love travelling in general, but usually on the WTA tour, you know where you are going, the cities you will play in, but with this I play not just in a new city but also with a new format. It's a new challenge. It is a team tournament as well. So all the excitement around it makes you want to go our there and perform well.'
Sharapova, like many of the other top players in each team, will feature only in the matches in her team's city. So she won't be playing in Delhi, but feels this could be a great start for the Indian city.
"Delhi has a huge opportunity to bring big tennis events like this. This is a great starting point. Even though this is not an official tournament, it's still a great way to tennis players live. There is a need for events like this," Sharapova said.
While the league has been surrounded by questions on its longevity and ability to survive amongst very grueling schedules and calendars for players, Sharapova says it's the format that makes it exciting for top players.
"I've been lucky that I can pick and choose such events. I only play a few matches here and there. The timing worked for me where I was coming in after having done some physical training and I was really excited about the new format. Besides competing, I will enjoy watching the legends play against each other," she added.
On IPTL's future, she said, "This is the first year. Sometimes you have to wait and see how things go. You have to experience it. But when you put in as much work as the IPTL has, it works. I hope that it grows and goes to more cities that haven't had the opportunity to experience tennis like this."
Serve clock, power point, 5-minute playoff - are all quirks in the format that make these matches different and exciting for fans. But one of them has the Russian especially worried. "I usually take my points between points, so I don't know how I will deal with the serve clock," she laughs. "I might get defaulted! Not just the players, even the fans won't know what to expect," she added.
Sharapova also said, "You will never be able to replicate what a Wimbledon or French Open does, but this format is fun for all fans where they can interact with their idols and get to see their personality. That's just as important to them because they want a personal connection with the athlete."
"I think all teams will be very challenging. But my team will be very entertaining. Away from the court, we are all very bubbly. Even though we are competitors, we have our own little things. Fan's interaction with players is very important."
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