Williams Wins Battle Of No.1s
The International Premier Tennis league played its last night in Manila’s Mall of Asia Arena, and with the WTA’s singles and doubles year-end No.1s set to go head-to-head, it was sure to be an exciting night.
Serena Williams’ Philippine Mavericks enjoyed a home crowd advantage against a team yet to lose a match this season in Sania Mirza’s Micromax Indian Aces. After splitting the first two sets, Williams and Mirza played a rousing set of mixed doubles – Williams with Treat Huey, Mirza with Rohan Bopanna – but it was Mirza’s superior doubles sensibilities winning the day and the 22 minute set, 6-3.
Undaunted, Williams remained on the court to play former World No.4 Samantha Stosur and win an all-important set of women’s singles by the same score to help turn the tide towards the Mavericks, who ultimately edged the Aces, 25-24.
The other match of the night saw former No.1 Ana Ivanovic play a nearly 40 minute set of women’s singles against Karolina Pliskova, who forced the Serb to a 6-5 tiebreak. Ivanovic’s teammate Kristina Mladenovic later stepped up in mixed doubles against good friend Belinda Bencic, who was partnering Nick Kyrgios. Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor went on to win their set, 6-4, as the OBI UAE Royals clinched a 26-23 win over the OUE Singapore Slammers.
Check out the best tweets of the night:
Afternoons in the plank: a single move for stronger abs! #KeepingFit pic.twitter.com/i0n3jwwAFJ
— Ana Ivanovic (@AnaIvanovic) December 7, 2015
@DreddyTennis Happy birthday Dustin! ??? #Slammers #SlammersNation pic.twitter.com/ByTmlgbQJk
— #TeamBelinda (@FanOfBencic) December 8, 2015
Whatever you said @serenawilliams was funny and entertaining as always ???? pic.twitter.com/0cnof4u34F
— Jarmila Gajdosova (@tennis_jarkag) December 8, 2015
Opponents today but friends always. #TeamBeliKiki ?? @BelindaBencic @KikiMladenovic pic.twitter.com/Jxyg8CXzP6
— #TeamBelinda (@FanOfBencic) December 8, 2015
When you spot the last free seat on the tube pic.twitter.com/OMbjdinyVC
— WTA Reactions (@WTAreactions) December 8, 2015
The winning moment! @PHLMavericks bag a nail-biting fifth set. #IPTL2 #BreakTheCode @milosraonic @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/UEF4cmzRBt
— IPTL (@iptl) December 8, 2015
Mixed feelings! Off to Delhi! @RafaelNadal @MirzaSania @fabsantoro72 @DodigTennis @bambamsam30 @rohanbopanna #Tenfie pic.twitter.com/IjRTq8v3TP
— IPTL (@iptl) December 8, 2015
Great last night in Manila. Go #philippinemavericks @iptl pic.twitter.com/u0aQrbMhox
— Treat Huey (@TreatHuey) December 8, 2015