Miami Open Week 1 recap: Turning up the heat

As the Miami Open—the second leg of the “Sunshine Double”—kicks off its second week, let’s take a look back at the first. Past champions like Roger Federer and Venus Williams got off to a good start, while others ran into a few stumbles.

And we can’t forget about the spectators of the four-legged variety.

STAN’S TRULY THE MAN?

With eight titles between the two of them, surely the Miami Open would be a sight for sore eyes for Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic after their dismal showings in Indian Wells.

Unfortunately for them, sore elbows got in the way. Days before the Miami Open started, both players announced that they weren’t going to be able to play due to injury. Their withdrawals made Stan Wawrinka the top seed—and added a bit of history, too.

SCALING NEW HEIGHTS

We all know who the true star of the first week was.

The first-round match between Tommy Haas and Jiri Vesely made headlines around the world, thanks to the presence of a very large iguana. The Florida resident decided he wanted an up-close-and-personal look at the action, causing a delay. Haas did manage to commemorate the moment.

A WEEKLONG PARTY

It’s been a birthday week to remember for the world’s top doubles player. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who just turned 32, has been racking up the singles wins, knocking out two seeds—including recording her first Top-10 win in two years—on the way to the fourth round. Her aggressive mind-set has paid off, and delivering triple-digit bombs has only made things easier.

It was ruled as unofficial due to interference, but she’ll gladly take the end result.

INTENSE TENNIS

As much as tennis might be perceived by some as a genteel sport, every now and then some conflict can creep in to shatter that perception. For instance, after their second-round match, Fabio Fognini and Joao Sousa got into a heated argument.

And then there are moments when coach and player don’t exactly see eye to eye. Case in point: Sam Sumyk and Garbine Muguruza.

Things can also escalate from the social media world, where Nick Kyrgios’ tweet about Gastao Elias might have been taken the wrong way.

CAN YOU STAND THE RAIN?

It’s Florida: There’s going to be some rain. For the most part, the matches have gone on as scheduled, but there has been some starts and stops happening. The Miami Open does have something to say about that, with the help of a former champion.