The tournament in Key Biscayne has been known as the Lipton, the Ericsson, the Nasdaq, the Sony Ericsson, and the Sony Open. This year it’s called the Miami Open, presented by Itau. Is the shift to a “presenting” sponsor a sign of decline? If so, it would go with the general sense that the IMG-owned event has fallen behind its Larry Ellison-owned sister tournament in Indian Wells. What’s worse than missing a title sponsor? As far as the men’s draw goes, it’s missing former IMG client Roger Federer. The Indian Wells finalist is heading straight back to Europe this year.
Yet all of these concerns will likely be forgotten by this weekend, when the rest of the top men are on the court at Crandon Park. Rog or no Rog, it’s one of the year’s strongest fields. Here’s a look at how the draw may play out.