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ATP World Tour stars excited over venue move
There is a feeling of nostalgia at the Crandon Park Tennis Center this week as the Miami Open presented by Itau stages its 32nd and final tournament in Key Biscayne. From some ATP World Tour stars, the facility evokes memories of formative years at the Orange Bowl, the prestigious junior tournament and the stepping stone to professional tennis. For others, it’s a regular practice haunt and a career-maker or breaker since 1987.
“I think the fans make it really, really special,” said Marin Cilic. “It’s a big mix of Latin American fans and here from the United States. It’s also enjoyable being on the practice courts to feel the atmosphere – especially playing in big matches.” Alexander Zverev agrees. “I think coming over the water on the bridge, seeing the Miami skyline a little bit, is very special. Obviously, the crowd gets into it here a lot and this is the thing we will most remember. The atmosphere is something very special here.”
But on 2 April, when the temporary stands and marquees, surrounding the 13,800-seater stadium arena, begin to get taken down, the prestigious tournament – that attracts more than 300,000 spectators each year – will relocate to the Hard Rock Stadium, a multi-purpose facility and home of the Miami Dolphins, in the north of the city, 21 miles away.
Former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the President of the ATP Player Council and a six-time Miami champion, welcomes the move as a positive for the sport’s fans and players. “I think the growth and evolution in general is a positive thing. When we talk about the tennis tournament, when we talk about where we want to get this sport, I think it's a good thing. I've had plenty of great memories and success in this tournament, and good times on this island.”
Juan Martin del Potro, who captured his first Masters 1000 trophy at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday, said, “I like to see Argentinian fans around the courts, Latino-American people, also, and the facilities for players are great, so that's all the things that make a good tournament. I will miss this tournament, playing on Key Biscayne next year, but I think it could be even better in the new place.”
Grigor Dimitrov admitted, “It's going to be definitely a different event for us... [but it will be] just as exciting." The Bulgarian, who finished runner-up to Ricardas Berankis in the under-18 Orange Bowl final in 2007, recalled of Crandon Park, “I had one of the first big wins I ever had here. I feel like there's so much history… I’ve also spent so many off-seasons out here. I know everything around, that makes it feel even more at home."
Like every well-travelled player, Cilic, Jack Sock and Zverev are all looking forward to competing in 2019 at the National Football League stadium. Leading matches will be held in the 65,000-seater stadium, temporarily revamped for tennis, with permanent outer courts to be constructed in a nearby parking lot.
“I think it’s good it’s going to be moved to Miami Dolphins stadium,” said Cilic. “The tournament definitely needs more space, the tournament has been trying to deal with that for many years now. I hope it’s going to be a great move for the fan experience [and] for the player experience.
Sock said, “I’ve had a lot of memories [at Crandon Park]. I had my first huge wild card in this tournament, when I was a junior in high school, from IMG. I played Orange Bowl here. But in order for it to grow and expand, obviously, it needs a venue change. As a big NFL fan, I’m very excited to be able to go over there and see the locker rooms, be able to use their facilities and just experience a day in the life of an NFL player… Players will be anxious to get out there and hit to see how it is.”
Zverev added, “The stadium will be much bigger and it was be also kind of indoors/outdoors. I think it will be even more electric and nice for us to play. I hope that it will be even better.”
Prior to moving to Crandon Park, venues in Delray Beach and Boca Raton hosted the tournament in the first two years before founder Butch Buchholz moved it to Key Biscayne in 1987.

Seven promising #NextGenATP players bid for second-round berths on Thursday
Denis Shapovalov vs. Viktor Troicki
Seven months after announcing his presence with back-to-back wins over Juan Martin Del Potro and Rafael Nadal en route to the Coupe Rogers semi-finals, Denis Shapovalov will make his Miami Open presented by Itau debut on Thursday. The #NextGenATP Canadian, last year's winner of the ATP Star Of Tomorrow presented by Emirates award, reached his second ATP World Tour semi-final at the Delray Beach Open (l. to eventual champion Tiafoe) in February. Three of his losses this season have come against Top 15 opponents. The 18-year-old, at No. 46 in the ATP Rankings, fell in the second round in Indian Wells (l. to Cuevas) leading in. Troicki, No. 68 in the ATP Rankings, leads the duo’s FedEx ATP Head2Head series 1-0 after a three-set triumph in Shanghai last year. The Serbian won his sixth straight victory in a five-set match at the Australian Open to start his year (d. Bolt, l. to Kyrgios in 2R). Bosnian 24th seed Damir Dzumhur awaits the winner in round two.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the following matches from the 2018 Miami Open presented by Itaú & vote for who you think will win!
Shapovalov vs Troicki | Medvedev vs Tsitsipas | de Minaur vs Nishioka




Frances Tiafoe vs. Nicolas Kicker
Coming off a maiden ATP World Tour title last month, #NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe will appear in his second Miami main draw. The World No. 63 takes on 25-year-old Argentine Nicolas Kicker for the first time in his opening match. The 20-year-old Tiafoe downed Shapovalov, Next Gen ATP Finals champion Hyeon Chung and his childhood idol Juan Martin Del Potro en route to the Delray Beach Open title before a first-round exit against compatriot Ernest Escobedo in Indian Wells. Kicker defeated No. 26 seed Dzumhur on his way to the third round in Indian Wells before he narrowly went down to No. 7 seed Kevin Anderson. Kicker stands at No. 87 in the ATP Rankings. The winner will take on No. 21 seed Kyle Edmund.

Alex de Minaur vs. Yoshihito Nishioka
The 18-year-old Aussie, Alex de Minaur, made a blistering start to 2018 on home turf with a semi-final run in Brisbane (l. to Harrison) before his first ATP World Tour final in Sydney (l. to Medvedev). For the second time in as many ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events, de Minaur won through qualifying to take his place in the main draw. In his Indian Wells campaign leading in, he had his first Masters 1000 win (d. Struff) before falling to eventual champion Del Potro. His 22-year-old opponent Yoshihito Nishioka tore his ACL at the 2017 Miami Open. The Japanese player’s best result this year is a five-set first-round upset of No. 27 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber at the Australian Open. No. 10 seed Tomas Berdych will take on the winner in the second round.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Daniil Medvedev
#NextGenATP 19-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas took a set off No. 5 seed Dominic Thiem in their second-round clash in Indian Wells debut leading in. The No. 70 in the ATP Rankings will square off against 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier Daniil Medvedev for the first time in the pair’s Miami debut on Thursday. The 19-year-old Greek reached the quarter-finals in Doha to open his season (l. to Thiem). Earlier this month, he beat No. 6 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber en route to the quarter-finals in Dubai. Medvedev, the World No. 52, started the season in a flurry when he claimed seven straight matches to win his first ATP World Tour title in Sydney (d. de Minaur) as a 21-year-old qualifier. The winner will face No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev.

Thanasi Kokkinakis vs. Calvin Hemery
Continuing his steady climb back from injury, #NextGenATP Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis takes on fellow qualifier Calvin Hemery of France. The 21-year-old Kokkinakis reached his first ATP World Tour final in Los Cabos last season (l. to Querrey) as a 454th-ranked wild card at the time. Now with his ATP Ranking back up to No. 175 he will meet Hemery for the first time. The 23-year-old Frenchman reached an ATP Challenger Tour semi-final (l. to Vatutin) in Quimper, France in January. The reward for the winner is a date with top seed and defending champion Roger Federer.


Denis Istomin vs. Miomir Kecmanovic
ATPWorldTour.com rated Denis Istomin’s second-round win over defending champion Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open as the biggest upset of 2017. The 31-year-old Uzbekistani, No. 85 in the ATP Rankings, has endured a tougher start to 2018 with injuries ending his Brisbane International quarter-final against Ryan Harrison and forcing his withdrawal before his scheduled match against Peter Gojowczyk in Indian Wells leading in. #NextGenATP wild card Miomir Kecmanovic will face Istomin for the first time on Thursday. The 18-year-old Serbian beat Tiafoe in the ATP Challenger Tour event in Newport in January, and counts wins over #NextGenATP American Michael Mmoh, Aussie Jordan Thompson and Spaniard Marcel Granollers in his three respective Challenger tournaments leading in. No. 16 seed Pablo Carreno Busta awaits in the second round.

Nicola Kuhn vs. Darian King
In just his second ATP World Tour main draw event, #NextGenATP Spaniard Nicola Kuhn will take on Darian King of Barbados for the first time. The 18-year-old Kuhn, the son of a German father and a Russian mother, reached the boys’ singles final at Roland Garros last year (l. to Popyrin). King won through qualifying and reached the final of the Indian Wells Challenger (l. to Klizan) prior to the BNP Paribas Open. The winner will meet No. 15 seed Fabio Fognini in round two.