2015 Epoch IPTL Tennis features top autographs, some key debuts

By Ryan Cracknell | Hobby Editor

All of a sudden there’s a fair bit of action in the tennis side of the hobby. After going a couple of years without a major release, 2015 Epoch IPTL Tennis is one of two products released around the same time. It joins 2015 Leaf Ultimate Tennis.

Rather than traditional packs and boxes, 2015 Epoch IPTL Tennis is going the premium factory set route. For starters, there’s a 36-card base set. Hobby sets have either an autograph or an autographed memorabilia card to go with a basic relic. Retail sets the same base set and a Retail Foil Signature card.

Some of the game’s biggest names like Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal all have cards and autographs in the product. There are also several early card from some of the sport’s young standouts.

The IPTL brings together some of the best tennis players from around the world to Asia where they’re drafted onto teams. The base set features those on the Indian Aces, Japan Warriors, Philippine Mavericks, Singapore Slammers and UAE Royals. While the league runs separate from the WTA and ATP, there’s a lot of overlap in players.

Besides some of the household names in the base set, 2015 Epoch IPTL Tennis has some of the first cards of Milos Raonic and Marin Cilic.

Autographs in hobby sets come with on-card signatures spread over four different insert sets. With 25 cards, Authentic Signatures is the biggest. Federer, Williams, Sharapova and Djokovic are among them.

Tennis Ball Signatures use a ball design. Raonic and Goran Ivanisevic are among the eight players on the checklist.

Other basic autographs include Star Signatures (eight cards) and YoungStar Signatures (three cards).

Autographed Match-Worn Shirt cards have separate checklists for vertical and horizontal designs. Each have six cards. This is the same for the unsigned match-worn cards.

All autographs and memorabilia cards found in 2015 Epoch IPTL Tennis sets are serial numbered.

Although not confirmed, it appears as though the Foil Signature cards found in retail sets are facsimile autographs and not original.

Base Set Checklist

Belinda Bencic
Tomas Berdych
Rohan Bopanna
Dustin Brown
Marin Cilic
Novak Djokovic
Ivan Dodig
Roger Federer
Jarmila Gajdosova
Richard Gasquet
Daniela Hantuchova
Treat Huey
Goran Ivanisevic
Ana Ivanovic
Philipp Kohlschreiber
Nick Kyrgios
Sabine Lisicki
Marcelo Melo
Sania Mirza
Kristina Mladenovic
Gael Monfils
Carlos Moya
Rafael Nadal
Kurumi Nara
Daniel Nestor
Kei Nishikori
Leander Paes
Mark Philippoussis
Karolina Pliskova
Agnieszka Radwanska
Milos Raonic
Edouard Roger-Vasselin
Marat Safin
Fabrice Santoro
Maria Sharapova
Serena Williams

Autographs

Authentic Signatures

Belinda Bencic
Tomas Berdych
Rohan Bopanna
Dustin Brown
Novak Djokovic
Ivan Dodig
Roger Federer
Jarmila Gajdosova
Treat Huey
Philipp Kohlschreiber
Nick Kyrgios
Marcelo Melo
Kristina Mladenovic
Carlos Moya
Rafael Nadal
Kurumi Nara
Daniel Nestor
Kei Nishikori
Leander Paes
Mark Philippoussis
Karolina Pliskova
Edouard Roger-Vasselin
Fabrice Santoro
Maria Sharapova
Serena Williams

Star Signatures

Tomas Berdych
Marin Cilic
Richard Gasquet
Daniela Hantuchova
Sania Mirza
Gael Monfils
Karolina Pliskova
Agnieszka Radwanska

Tennis Ball Signatures

Goran Ivanisevic
Ana Ivanovic
Sabine Lisicki
Carlos Moya
Mark Philippoussis
Milos Raonic
Marat Safin
Fabrice Santoro

YoungStar Signatures

Belinda Bencic
Nick Kyrgios
Kurumi Nara

Memorabilia Cards

All have signed versions as well.

2015 IPTL Match-Worn Shirts Horizontal

Daniela Hantuchova
Goran Ivanisevic
Ana Ivanovic
Sania Mirza
Milos Raonic
Marat Safin

2015 IPTL Match-Worn Shirts Vertical

Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal
Kei Nishikori
Maria Sharapova
Serena Williams

2015 Epoch IPTL Tennis at a glance:

Cards per set: Hobby – 38, Retail – 37
Sets per case: 12
Set size: 36 cards
Release date: January, 2016

What to expect in a hobby set:

• Autographs or Autographed Memorabilia Cards – 1
• Memorabilia Card – 1
• 36-Card Base Set

What to expect in a retail set:

• Retail Foil Signature Insert – 1
• 36-Card Base Set