A new addition: Vasek Pospisil.
The second season of the International Premier Tennis League looks to be a reality.
THE UAE Royals will not have Genie Bouchard back for their second season (we don’t know if they actually asked her this time around). Instead, they’ve gone with Bouchard’s last-minute replacement, Kristina Mladenovic, as the female who will do the bulk of the work when top female Ana Ivanovic isn’t around.
No Caroline Wozniacki to this point. There are always last-minute additions possible.
Roger Federer, who made SUCH a big splash in New Delhi last season with the Indian Aces, will be with the UAE team this time. He can hang at ‘home’. But they’ll get Gaël Monfils, who will entertain. And they’ll get Rafael Nadal, who pulled out last year because of his injury situation.
Maria Sharapova is moving to the new franchise, the Japan Warriors (she’s BIG in Japan, and should be able to sell a lotta Sugarpova there). Pospisil will get to hang with her for a weekend, at least. And with Marat. 🙂 Nishikori is also on that team; it probably cost them more to get him than the rest of them combined. We want a Marat-Maria mixed.
Pospisil told Open Court last Christmas that he definitely would have played IPTL, but he wasn’t asked. Clearly his standing has risen.
Here are the results of the league’s draft over the weekend.
Indian Aces: Rohan Bopanna, Rafael Nadal, Gael Monfils, Agnieska Radwanska, Sania Mirza, Ivan Dodig, Fabrice Santoro.
Japan Warriors: Daniela Hantuchova, Kurumi Nara, Kei Nishikori, Leander Paes, Vasek Pospisil, Lucas Pouille, Marat Safin, Maria Sharapova.
Manila Mavericks: Borna Coric, Jarmila Gajdosova, Richard Gasquet, Treat Huey, Sabine Lisicki, Mark Philippoussis, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Serena Williams.
Singapore Slammers: Belinda Bencic, Novak Djokovic, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Nick Krygios, Karolina Pliskova, Marcelo Melo, Carlos Moya.
UAE Royals: Tomas Berdych, Marin Cilic, Roger Federer, Goran Ivanisevic, Ana Ivanovic, Kristina Mladenovic, Daniel Nestor.
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