Treat Huey and Serena Williams during an IPTL Match. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
FILIPINO tennis star Treat Huey will take on a new partner starting the 2016 season.
The 30-year-old Huey, pillar of Philippine international campaigns, will work in tandem with Belarusian star Max Mirnyi starting with a tournament in Auckland, New Zealand and the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Huey himself confirmed it during the Manila leg of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) where he played for the Philippine Mavericks.
Huey has won three titles this year with different partners, but didn’t have much luck in the Grand Slams after making the quarterfinals of the 2013 US Open and the 2014 Australian Open with Briton Dominic Inglot.
Inglot has since taken on a new partner and was part of the Great Britain squad, led by Andy Murray, that ruled this year’s Davis Cup.
Huey said he expects the IPTL brought in more interest in the sport among Filipinos.
“I think the IPTL and all the stars of tennis world coming to Manila can only help inspire the younger tennis players of the Philippines,” Huey told the Inquirer. “Hopefully it will make it possible for a Filipino to be one of the world’s best in the future.”
After the last IPTL leg in Singapore, Huey said he will focus on his doubles career after ending the season at 33rd from as high as 20th early last year. The 38-year-old Mirnyi is currently 28th in the world.