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 a...