MIAMI OPEN TENNIS ANNOUNCES WILDCARDS FOR 2016 TOURNAMENT

Written by: Staff on 8th March 2016

MIAMI OPEN TENNIS ANNOUNCES WILDCARDS FOR 2016 TOURNAMENT

epa04693269 An infrared photograph shows the entrance of the Tennis Center at Crandon Park, which hosted the Miami Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida, USA, 05 April 2015. EPA/RHONA WISE |

MIAMI OPEN ANNOUNCES WILDCARDS FOR 2016 TOURNAMENT

Grand Slam champion and future stars headline the field

The Miami Open presented by Itaú today announced several wildcard entries for the 2016 tournament to be held March 21-April 3 in Key Biscayne at the Crandon Park Tennis Center. Four men and eight women have received entries into the main draw including two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands; young American and 2014 US Open breakout star Cici Bellis; and Olympic silver medalist in mixed doubles Laura Robson.

Tickets are on sale now. With packages starting at just $136 and individual sessions starting at $31, the Miami Open will be the place-to-be. More than just tennis, the event will feature an array of food options for all pallets and luxury shopping options. For more information go to www.miamiopen.com or call the Miami Open ticket office at 305-442-3367.

On the women’s side, eight wildcard entries were awarded, highlighted by a pair of Americans: Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Cici Bellis. Mattek-Sands, who claimed two doubles Grand Slams in 2015 (Australian Open and French Open), will make her seventh appearance in the Miami main draw. The young Bellis seeks to improve on her 2015 Miami Open appearance which saw her fall to eventual champion Serena Williams in the third round. Bellis, the No. 1 ranked junior player in 2014 and youngest woman to win a match at the US Open since Lindsay Davenport in 1991; has won three titles on the ITF circuit.

They will be joined by a pair of British players, Heather Watson and Laura Robson. Watson, who is coming off of an impressive win at the Abierto Monterrey Afirme, just claimed her third career title and jumped 31 spots to a world ranking of 53, her highest ranking since last June. Robson, who teamed up with Andy Murray to win a silver medal in mixed doubles at the 2012 Olympics, has one career ITF singles title.

Naomi Osaka of Japan, Spaniard Paula Badoas, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Sofya Zhuk of Russia round out the eight main draw wildcards announced. Notably, Osaka pulled off a pair of upsets en route to a Round of 32 appearance at this year’s Australian Open; after qualifying for the main draw. Zhuk is the defending Wimbledon junior girls champion.

On the men’s side, the tournament has filled four of the five main draw wildcard slots. Kyle Edmund of Great Britain, Andrey Rublev of Russia, Elias Ymer of Sweden and Chile’s Nicolas Jarry have all been entered into the main draw. Edmund, who is currently ranked 82 in the world, makes his third consecutive appearance in the Miami Open main draw. He claimed his fourth career ATP Challenger Tour title earlier this year and also reached the quarterfinals in Doha. Rublev is making his second straight appearance in Miami, fresh off of his first career Challenger Tour title last week. Ymer, once ranked as the No. 5 junior player in the world, has one career Challenger title. Jarry will be making his Miami debut.

The main draw wildcard entries will have a tough road. The women’s side includes defending champion Serena Williams, former champions Agnieszka Radwanska and Victoria Azarenka, as well as Simona Halep. For the men, Novak Djokovic will be defending his title against the likes of Rafael Nadal seeking his first Miami championship, two-time Miami Open winner Andy Murray and fan-favorite David Ferrer.

The Miami Open also awarded three men’s qualifying wildcards and five women’s qualifying wildcards. On the men’s side Casper Rudd, Joao Souza and Ryan Harrison have been entered into the qualifying draw, while Fanny Stollar, Claire Liu, Indy de Vroome, Katie Swan and Sorana Cirstea were issued wildcards into the women’s qualifying draw.

Men’s Main Draw Wildcards:

Name Country Age Rank
Kyle Edmund Great Britain 21 82
Adrey Rublev Russia 18 150
Elias Ymer Sweden 19 152
Nicolas Jarry Chile 20 491

Women’s Main Draw Wildcards:

Name Country Age Rank
Heather Watson Great Britain 23 53
Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA 30 88
Naomi Osaka Japan 18 106
Paula Badoas Spain 18 224
Beatriz Haddad Maia Brazil 19 270
Laura Robson Great Britain 22 551
Sofya Zhuk Russia 16 17 (ITF)

Men’s Qualifying Wildcards:

Name Country Age Rank

Joao Souza Brazil 27 129

Ryan Harrison USA 23 168

Casper Ruud Norway 17 11 (ITF)

Women’s Qualifying Wildcards:

Name Country Age Rank

Sorana Cirstea Romania 25 148

Indy de Vroome Netherlands 19 324

Claire Liu USA 15 498

Fanny Stollar Hungary 17 509

Katie Swan Great Britain 16 513

About the Miami Open presented by Itaú

The 2016 Miami Open will be played March 21-April 3 at the Crandon Tennis Center in Miami. The two-week combined event is owned and operated by IMG. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a Premier Mandatory event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men’s and women’s tennis players in the world. The tournament is widely regarded as the most glamorous on the ATP and WTA calendars because of its exotic Miami location, thriving nightlife, five-star hotels and restaurants, beautiful weather and beaches, and its celebrity appeal. For ticket information, call +1.305.442.3367 or visit www.miamiopen.com.

About Itaú

Itau is the largest Latin America privately owned bank, with approximately 95,000 employees and operations in 20 countries throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. Itaú’s relationship with sport goes back to the 1970s, when Itaú first sponsored the Itaú Tennis Cup in Brazil in 1970. Itaú has been a sponsor of the Miami Open for the last six years, and also sponsors the Rio Open, the only combined ATP/WTA event in South America. Itaú also supports the Brazilian Women’s Tennis Circuit, only female professional tournament in South America, certified by the Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), as well as the Tennis Institute Training Center, responsible for the development of young, new talent.

About IMG

IMG is a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion, operating in more than 25 countries. The company represents and manages some of the world’s greatest sports figures and fashion icons; stages hundreds of live events and branded entertainment experiences annually; and is the world’s largest independent producer and distributor of sports media. IMG also specializes in sports training; league development; and marketing, media and licensing for brands, sports organizations and collegiate institutions. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, the world’s leading entertainment agency.

Topics: Crandon Park Tennis Center, Key Biscane, Miami Open 2016, Tennis News