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With marquee names out, Hubert Hurkacz wins Miami Open title over teenager Jannik Sinner
Nothing about the 2021 Miami Open was quite normal, as the pandemic forced organizers to host a scaled down version of the 36-year-old tennis tournament.
Instead of 300,000 fans roaming the grounds over the two-week event, fewer than 30,000 showed up. Instead of an endless array of chic dining options, there was a row of food trucks and a few ...Read more
No. 1 Ashleigh Barty defends Miami Open title as injured Bianca Andreescu retires
MIAMI — Bianca Andreescu gutted out four straight three-set matches to reach Saturday’s Miami Open final, including a rain-delayed semifinal that ended just after 1:30 a.m. on Friday. The 20-year-old Canadian, back on tour after a 16-month layoff, was overjoyed to be playing for a trophy again.
But she twisted her right ankle in the second ...Read more

Italian teen Jannik Sinner reaches Miami Open men’s final, could become youngest champion in history
MIAMI — Jannik Sinner, an Italian teenager who was a top junior skier, reached the highest peak of his nascent tennis career on Friday, advancing to the Miami Open final.
Seeded No. 21, Sinner was considered an underdog in his semifinal against veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, but the 19-year-old showed maturity beyond his years in a 5...Read more

Hurkacz storms back to upset Tsitsipas at Miami Open; defending champ Barty reaches final in straight sets
MIAMI — Tennis fans in Greece were having quite the week, staying up until the wee hours to watch on TV as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari turned the Miami Open into a Big Fat Greek Tennis Tournament.
In a nation with limited tennis history, Tsitsipas and Sakkari have been making as many headlines as NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, ...Read more
Rising U.S. star Sebastian Korda upsets Diego Schwartzman, reaches Miami Open quarterfinals
MIAMI — The last time four American men made the Round of 16 at the Miami Open was 2004. Their names were Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Todd Martin and Vince Spadea.
Agassi, the eight-time Grand Slam champion and tennis legend, is now 50 years old and mentoring a rising young American talent, Sebastian “Sebi” Korda of Bradenton, who was one...Read more

Top seed Medvedev cramps and advances, Kenin loses to history-making Arab player
The absence of headliners Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal – “the cyborgs of tennis” in the words of world No. 2 Daniil Medvedev -- means the Miami Open title is up for grabs among a group of younger, less-heralded players.
Medvedev, the top seed, is the favorite heading into Round of 16 after hobbling his way through the ...Read more

Naomi Osaka feels at home in South Florida heat, advances to third round of Miami Open
MIAMI — Naomi Osaka learned to play tennis on the courts of Broward County, bouncing from Pembroke Pines to Pompano Beach to Cooper City to Miramar. She also learned how to handle South Florida’s heat and humidity, which proved helpful on Friday during her midday Miami Open second-round match.
Osaka, the world No. 2 and defending Australian...Read more

Top-ranked Ash Barty ‘pushed to the brink,’ saves match point to edge qualifier Kucova
Forgive Ashleigh Barty, the world’s top-ranked player, if she seemed a little rusty before rallying to beat qualifier Kristina Kucova 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in her opening Miami Open match Thursday afternoon.
That she lasted 2 1/2 hours in 82-degree heat was remarkable considering Barty spent 45 hours in transit to get to Miami from Australia (two ...Read more

Miami Open top prize slashed from $1.35 million to $300,110 due to COVID-19
MIAMI — Like just about every business across the world, professional tennis has taken a major financial hit during the pandemic. The sport relies heavily on ticket revenue and on-site food and retail sales, and most tournaments have had either no fans or very limited fans.
As a result, prize money has been drastically reduced.
The prize ...Read more

Andy Murray ‘gutted’ to withdraw from Miami Open, Venus Williams loses first match
The second day of the Miami Open began with the withdrawal of former No. 1 Andy Murray. By the end of the day, another fan favorite — 40-year-old Venus Williams — was headed home after a hard-fought match that went to a 12-10 tiebreaker.
Williams, in her 21st appearance at the event, has slipped to No. 79 in the world rankings but remains a...Read more

Scaled down Miami Open underway, 42-year-old Ivo Karlovic was among the winners
The scaled-down Miami Open tennis tournament got underway on a sun-splashed Monday at Hard Rock Stadium with 48 qualifying matches spread over 10 courts. Like everything else during the pandemic, it looked and felt different than normal.
For one thing, a giant tented COVID-19 vaccine site is across the parking lot from the tennis event. ...Read more
Serena Williams latest big name skipping Miami Open
The Miami Open got more bad news on the eve of the tournament. Serena Williams announced she is withdrawing following oral surgery.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion has won the Miami Open a record eight times, the last one in 2015. She reached the semifinals of the recent Australian Open before losing to eventual champion Naomi Osaka.
“I am ...Read more

Rafael Nadal withdraws from Miami Open with back injury
The Miami Open lost another big name Tuesday, as Rafael Nadal withdrew due to a back injury.
“I am very sorry to announce that I won’t be playing in Miami this year,” Nadal announced. “It’s a city that I love being and playing in, but for the moment I need to fully recover from my back problem and start to get ready for the upcoming ...Read more

Kim Clijsters withdraws from Miami Open, Andy Murray expected to get a wild card in
Kim Clijsters is out of the Miami Open, but Andy Murray may be in.
Former world No. 1 Clijsters, twice retired and now a 37-year-old mother of three, announced on Sunday that she is withdrawing from the Miami Open tennis tournament, which begins March 22 at Hard Rock Stadium.
Meanwhile, SkySports reported that another former No. 1, Andy Murray...Read more

Former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters, 37 and mom of three, accepts Miami Open wild card
MIAMI — Former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters, twice retired and now a 37-year-old mother of three, accepted a wild card to play in the Miami Open tennis tournament, which begins March 22 at Hard Rock Stadium.
It will be her first time back since 2012. She won the event in 2005 and 2010.
The affable Belgian, one of the most popular players on ...Read more
Roger Federer withdraws from upcoming Miami Open
Swiss superstar Roger Federer is withdrawing from the upcoming Miami Open. He will take a break after he plays Doha, and maybe Dubai, to work his way slowly back on tour following two knee operations in the past 12 months.
Federer’s agent, Tony Godsick, confirmed to the Miami Herald on Monday that the 20-time Grand Slam winner and Miami Open ...Read more

Helene Elliott: Novak Djokovic's latest Australian Open title shows he's not slowing down
The instant he felt the snap of an abdominal muscle, Novak Djokovic feared his attempt to win a third straight Australian Open title would end prematurely and endanger his quest for his 18th Grand Slam singles championship.
He guessed he had torn a muscle when he skidded on the court during his third-round match against Taylor Fritz, a ...Read more
Helene Elliott: Naomi Osaka adds to her growing legend with Australian Open triumph
LOS ANGELES — Her mission accomplished, her will occasionally tested but never near breaking, Naomi Osaka calmly walked toward the net and stepped into history after securing her status as the most dominant active player in women's tennis.
Her 6-4, 6-3 victory over former UCLA standout Jennifer Brady in the Australian Open final added a ...Read more

Helene Elliott: Naomi Osaka and Jennifer Brady Australian Open final will showcase power and finesse
LOS ANGELES — Jennifer Brady knew early on that Naomi Osaka would be someone to reckon with someday.
While growing up in Florida they often faced each other in local junior tennis tournaments. Osaka made an especially strong impression on Brady in one event. "I think she was just coming up, maybe inside the top 200, and I remember playing her...Read more
Helene Elliott: Once-dominant Serena Williams faces hard reality after loss to Naomi Osaka
LOS ANGELES — Serena Williams’ departure after her Australian Open semifinal loss to Naomi Osaka had an air of wistful finality to it. Hand over her heart, her emotions brimming, Williams disappeared from view of the fans who had cheered her so steadily at Rod Laver Arena and was left alone with her thoughts — and with the realization her ...Read more