Palace Delighted by Visit of Tennis Superstars

Malacañang is delighted by the visit of some of the world’s best tennis players for the first time in the country to play for their Filipino fans, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said on Sunday.

Tennis superstars like Russia’s Maria Sharapova, Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic, Scotland’s Andy Murray, and France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga arrived in the Philippines to participate in the three-day Manila leg of the inaugural International Premier Tennis League (IPTL).

“Siyempre po, ikinagagalak natin na ang mga pangunahing manlalaro sa larangan ng tennis ay nagpunta dito sa ating bansa,” Coloma told an interview over the state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

Coloma added he’s ‘heartened’ by the appreciation and praises that these athletes have heaped on their Filipino fans, as well as the kind words they have said about the Philippines.

“Nakatataba rin naman ng puso ang kanilang mga sinasabing papuri sa mga Filipino fans at ang kanilang paghanga sa mga tourist destinations ng ating bansa kaya napakainam po ng kanilang pagpunta rito,” he said.

Sharapova reportedly made a short trip to Palawan and even posted photos in her Instagram account regarding that visit before her scheduled matches as part of the Manila Mavericks team.

“I kind of went around the islands. It’s the trip that I wanted to take for many years. I went around the island with my friends. It was really fun,” she was quoted saying in a report.

Tennis is generally not considered a popular sport in the Philippines but many of its players—like the 27-year old Sharapova, who is currently ranked world no. 2 by the Women’s Tennis Association—have a huge following in the country.

The IPTL is an exhibition tournament sponsored by Coca-Cola, which seeks to introduce a fresh concept to the world of tennis, making it a team sport rather than an individual one.

It gathered some of the world’s best tennis players in the women’s and men’s divisions today, as well as former Grand Slam champions, to play alongside and against each other in four franchise teams: the Manila Mavericks, Micromax Indian Aces, Singapore Slammers, and United Arab Emirates Royals.

The games are being held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The tournament debuted last Friday (November 28) and will end today (November 30). PND (hdc)