Alex de Minaur and Axel Geller have a lot in common: They share a similar first name, a birth year (1999) and the potential for success on the ATP World Tour. They were on opposite ends of Court 6 in Crandon Park on Monday, where both teenagers battled in a first-round qualifying match at the Miami Open presented by Itau. De Minaur emerged victorious, 6-4, 6-0 after one hour and 27 minutes. This was their second meeting in South Florida; in 2013, de Minaur and Geller met in the final of the Orange Bowl. Both were 14 years old at the time; on that occasion it was Geller who walked away the winner, 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-2, to lift the Orange...
Juan Martin del Potro defeated World No. 1 Roger Federer at Indian Wells on Sunday, saving three match points to claim his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title. And now, as the ATP World Tour travels to Florida for the Miami Open presented by Itau, the tennis world might be in for a treat: a rematch, just two weeks later. Federer and Del Potro were drawn into opposite halves of the draw at the second Masters 1000 event of the season, and while recent form indicates that we may very well see both players across the net from one another again, one of them has a far more straightforward draw than the other. World No. 1 Federer, who must...
Rafael Nadal announced on Friday that he has withdrawn from this month's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open presented by Itau due to a right hip injury. Earlier this week, the Spanish superstar pulled out of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC. The World No. 2 announced the news via Facebook on Friday, stating, “I'm sorry to write this, but my worst possible scenario has been confirmed. The injury I suffered during training right before Acapulco is in the same basic area as the injury I suffered in Melbourne [during the Australian Open]. “I won't be playing at Indian Wells or in Miami and the goal going forward is to recover in time for the...
The Miami Open presented by Itau has a new tournament director, and he's a familiar face for tennis fans across the world. Ten-time ATP World Tour titlist and former World No. 4 James Blake has been named to the role and will focus on player relations, media, broadcast, as well as tournament improvements and innovations, the tournament stated in a release on Thursday. “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the Miami Open team that has been putting on one of the best tennis events for more than 30 years,” said Blake. “As a player, I always loved playing in Miami and I am excited for the opportunity to take the tournament experience to a higher level for the...