TENNIS STARS TAKE CENTER STAGE AT THE MIAMI OPEN TENNIS

Written by: Staff on 21st March 2016

TENNIS STARS TAKE CENTER STAGE AT THE MIAMI OPEN TENNIS

epa04693268 An infrared photograph shows the stadium court during the final of the Miami Open tennis tournament between Andy Murray of Great Britain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia on Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida, USA, 05 April 2015. EPA/RHONA WISE |

Tennis Stars Take Center Stage at the Miami Open

Serena Williams set to play Thursday day; 17-time Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer to play on Friday day

The Miami Open presented by Itau has released a partial playing schedule featuring many of the top stars in tennis including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

Tennis fans will be able to catch the biggest stars in tennis as the main draw heats up on Wednesday, March 23rd as 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro highlights the Wednesday (March 23) Night Session (Session 4). He takes on fellow Argentine Guido Pella.

Eight-time champion and No. 1 seed Serena Williams will headlines the Thursday (March 24) Day Session (Session 5). She will compete for her fourth consecutive and record-ninth overall Miami Open title. Williams plays the winner of American Christina McHale and Misaki Doi of Japan.

The top men’s seeds hit the court starting on Friday, March 25th as No. 3 seed Roger Federer kicks off the men’s second round during the Day Session (Session 7). He will face the winner of the aforementioned all-Argentine showdown between del Potro and Pella. Also during Friday’s day session, No. 10 seed Venus Williams plays her second round match against the winner of two to-be-determined qualifiers.

No. 1 seed and five-time champion Novak Djokovic highlights the Night Session (Session 8) on Friday. He will take on the winner of Kyle Edmund of Great Britain and Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic.

The star-studded lineup continues on Saturday March 26th as No. 2 and two-time Miami Open champion Andy Murray takes the court during the Day Session (Session 9). He will face the winner of Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan and Borna Coric of Croatia. No. 5 seed Rafael Nadal will also be in action Saturday (Session 9). He plays the winner of Bosnian Damir Dzumhur and Argentine Leonardo Mayer in the second round.

Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic participates in a photo call at the Winwood Walls arts district before participating in the Miami Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, USA, 21 March 2016. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER

Elias Ymer of Sweden participates in a photo call at the Winwood Walls arts district before participating in the Miami Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, USA, 21 March 2016. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER

Djokovic is a five-time champion of the Miami Open. He is going for his third straight and fourth title of the 2016 season after winning the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells last week. Federer is a two-time champion and is returning to Miami after not playing in last year’s tournament. He is second on the all-time wins list with 44 Miami victories. Nadal is a four-time finalist and owns 35 career Miami victories.

To view the complete main draw please visit www.miamiopen.com. The order of play is released daily and can also be found on the tournament website, as well as the mobile app.

The most glamorous two-weeks of tennis will take place, March 21-April 3, at the Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami, Florida. With ticket packages starting at just $136 and individual session tickets starting at $31, fans can be close to the action for some of the best tennis in the world. For more information go to www.miamiopen.com or call the Miami Open ticket office at 305-442-3367.

Partial Miami Open Schedule:

Wednesday, March 23 Evening (Session 4) – Juan Martin del Potro

Thursday, March 24 Day (Session 5) – Serena Williams

Friday, March 25 Day (Session 7) – Roger Federer, Venus Williams

Friday, March 25 Evening (Session 8) – Novak Djokovic

Saturday, March 26 Day (Session 9) – Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray

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

Itaú 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 SAP

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable approximately 300,000 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

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 thousands 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, to form WME | IMG.

Printable Draws

Men’s singles: click here

Men’s qualies: click here

Ladies singles: click here

Ladies qualies: click here

Order of play: click here

Topics: Andy Murray, Atp World Tour, Juan Martin Del Potro, Miami Open, Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis, Venus Williams, Wta