The 2017 edition of the Miami Open is just around the corner. Indian Wells hasn’t yet ended, but the event in California has provided some rich story lines before the tour moves to the East Coast of the United States.
The competition in the 96-player main draw began on Wednesday, March 22.
Event Details
Event: Miami Open (Key Biscayne)
Category: ATP World Tour – Masters 1000
Date: March 22 – April 2, 2017
Location: Crandon Park Tennis Center – Key Biscayne, Florida
With a prize money allotment of just under $7 million and an overall financial commitment of nearly $8 million, the Miami Open is another treasure-chest-level event on tour. It is especially important for the players who failed to go deep in Indian Wells, and it also stands out for the players on tour or who probably won’t flourish on clay in the European spring swing. They need to grab points and cash now before the switch to circumstances and conditions less likely to bring out their best tennis. Hardcourt specialists have to pounce, because there won’t be more hardcourt events on the main tour until after Wimbledon in late July.
Points
Champion – 1,000 points
Runner-up – 600
Semifinal – 360
Quarterfinal – 180
Round of 16 – 90
Round of 32 – 45
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2016 – Novak Djokovic def. Kei Nishikori – 6-3, 6-3
2015 – Novak Djokovic def. Andy Murray – 7-6, 4-6, 6-0
2014 – Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal – 6-3, 6-3
2013 – Andy Murray def. David Ferrer – 2-6, 6-4, 7-6
2012 – Novak Djokovic def. Andy Murray – 6-1, 7-6
Player Info:
The first big story from Indian Wells is that Andy Murray bombed out in the second round of the tournament, which was also his first match. Murray gained points on Novak Djokovic because Djokovic was defending a lot more points than Murray in California, but the World No. 1 has had a mediocre season and needs to take advantage of his place at No. 1. He could regret not adding more points to his lead later in the year. He needs a solid tournament at the Miami Open.
Novak Djokovic did shed a ton of points by losing in the fourth round of Indian Wells to Nick Kyrgios. He is a far cry from the player who dominated the tour in all of 2015 and the first half of 2016. In his defense, Kyrgios played and served really well, but Djokovic is known for finding answers against just about anyone he plays, and lately, he hasn’t had answers against Kyrgios. He needs a good run in Miami, at least the semifinals if not better, to enter the clay season feeling he can climb back to the top.
Rafael Nadal lost in the fourth round of Indian Wells, but he lost to an in-form Roger Federer, who is playing great tennis at this point in his career. Nadal should be able to go deeper in the draw if he can avoid Federer in the fourth round at the Miami Open.
This is really the most important part of Miami on a larger level: With Federer ranked outside the top eight, he could be drawn to play a top player in the early rounds of the tournament. Federer might be in the top five in the month of May, but he’s not there yet. This is a tournament in which someone will have to face Federer early in the tournament, not later. That will create an important development in the draw. In Indian Wells, Djokovic, Federer and Nadal were all in the bottom half of the draw, with Kyrgios. Will the draw be lopsided at the Miami Open, or will it be more balanced this time?
Crandon Park Tennis Center
The Crandon Park Tennis Center is one of the most important tennis hubs in the United States. The prestigious and historic Orange Bowl junior tennis tournament is held here. A lot of great tennis careers have been birthed in that junior event. South Florida in general, not just Miami, is and has been a hotbed of tennis for a long time. Multiple communities in the state of Florida host tennis academies where the game is taught by the foremost experts in the world. Players from other nations train throughout Florida, and this is one base of operations. The United States Tennis Association holds tournaments and other important events in Crandon Park.
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