MANILA, Philippines – It was no secret which tennis star of the 2015 International Premier Tennis League roster had the loudest ovation during the first day of the competition held at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, December 6.
The moment world number one Serena Williams walked onto the hardcourt, thousands of fans instantly turned boisterous, which likely had a lot to do with Williams playing for the hometown team this season, and she noticed.
“It’s great. I love the crowd here,” Williams, 34, told members of the press after the Mavericks defeated the OBI UAE Royals 29 games to 18.
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“They’re so excited and they’re so for the Philippine Mavericks, so it feels good to be back here. I’m so glad I’m actually part of the team this year.”
Williams, a winner of 21 Grand Slams in singles play, played in only one game during the Manila leg of the IPTL last season when she saw action for the Singapore Slammers.
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<blockquote class="twitter-video" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Serena Williams says she's happy with the good crowd reception tonight. <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom">@rapplerdotcom</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPTL2015?src=hash">#IPTL2015</a> <a href="https://t.co/Is3abE0ujC">pic.twitter.com/Is3abE0ujC</a></p>— Jane Bracher (@janebracher) <a href="https://twitter.com/janebracher/status/673516783626653697">December 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
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The Philippine Mavericks are scheduled to play in all 3 days of the 2015 IPTL Manila Leg, which means there's a good chance Williams will be available for the fans even on Monday and Tuesday.
“I had a wonderful reception last year and this year had even more of a reception, so I was surprised and it really felt really good,” she said.
Williams’ campaign in Manila is off to a good start. On Sunday, she teamed with Filipino-American tennis star Treat Huey in mixed doubles action, but the pair lost to Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic, 6-5, thanks to a 7-6 shoot-out.
“We really played well together. We had our chances to win today and we were so close, but we really love playing with each other and it’s just been a joy,” said Williams.
It didn’t take long for Palm Beach Gardens, Florida resident to bounce back as she defeated 28-year-old and world rank no. 16 Ana Ivanovic easily, 6-3, in only 25 minutes.
It was an impressive showing for Williams, who just in September lost to Roberta Vinci in the semifinals of the US Open, which prevented her from becoming only the fourth woman in history to complete a calendar grand slam.
After the loss, her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, mentioned that Williams may not play again in 2015 due to lack of motivation and disappointment following the loss.
“But after this year and the 3 Grand Slams [she won in 2015], the question is how high her motivation is to play those tournaments. I don’t think she should play if the motivation is not really high,” Mouratoglou was quoted in an article by The Guardian.
“I never lacked motivation, I just was really injured, and I’ve always been motivated, so I just had to get better, you know,” Williams told the press. “[I just had to] be able to just walk without being in pain and I just really need some time off.”
Williams admitted her 2015 campaign is over, but is happy that she’s still getting to see action in the IPTL, even if it is more of a team concept.
(READ: A guide to big-time tennis in Manila)
“It’s fun. That’s why I’m here again, because I had a lot of fun last year, and I definitely wanted to continue it, and especially when my year, I was forced out early.
"It’s a good opportunity for me to get some more tennis in and ready, so it felt really good,” Williams said. – Rappler.com