Nadal and company, Manila-bound in November

If plans push through, Manila will be the first stop for Rafael Nadal and a number of the world's top tennis players.

The Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) is working against the clock to come up with $8 million to finance the Philippine leg of the International Premier Tennis League (ITPL), which will bring the world’s former and current stars to Manila from November 28 to 30.

Former tennis pro and ITPL organizer Mahesh Bhupathi of India said they were forced to find an alternative venue for the indoor tennis tournament due to the ongoing political tension in Thailand after their Constitutional Court removed Prime Minister Yinluck Shinawatra from her office.

"We had to divert from the original franchise owner in Bangkok as the political unrest forced us to look for an alternative city to ensure the safety of all stakeholders," Bhupathi said in an interview with the International Business Times.

Philta vice president Randy Villanueva said that they are hoping to find major sponsors that are willing to pool the money so they could come up with the franchise fee.

“If [Philta] can pull it off, Filipino tennis fans can see the world’s tennis players here in Manila. [The franchise fee] is something that we at Philta are trying to work at,” Villanueva said in a text message.

World men’s number one and two seeds Rafael Nadal of Spain and Serbian Novak Djokovic have confirmed joining the ITPL along with tennis legends Peter Sampras and Andre Agassi, and women’s top rank Serena Williams.

London Olympics gold medalist Andy Murray of Britain, Frenchman Jo Wilfried-Tsonga, and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus are some of the players that will suit up for Team Manila, which will go up against squads from Singapore, Dubai, and Mumbai.

The tournament format will have each team playing a men's and women's singles, men's and mixed doubles, and a men's legends singles in a round-robin, home-and-away format.

The Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and the Mall of Asia Arena are the venues being eyed for the three-day tournament.

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