MIAMI OPEN MOVING TO DOLPHINS STADIUM?

The IMG-owned Miami Open is reportedly on the verge of announcing its move from Crandon Park on Key Biscayne to the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

The stadium recently underwent a $500 million renovation, and the Super Bowl will be played at the stadium in 2020. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross six months ago first proposed the move for the tournament, which can contractually no longer expand and upgrade the facilities at Crandon Park. Miami-Dade would have to release the event from its remaining six years on its lease at Key Biscayne.

If the paperwork gets signed in the coming months, the tournament could debut at Hard Rock Stadium in 2019.

 

IBIS LANDS JAY BERGER AS TENNIS DIRECTOR

USTA Florida Tennis Hall of Fame member and former USTA Head of Men’s Tennis Jay Berger has taken the job of director of tennis instruction at The Club at Ibis in West Palm Beach.

The position follows Berger’s 15-year career with the USTA, where he also served as the Olympics tennis coach for the U.S. at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 games. During his career he recorded wins over No. 1s Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, and Mats Wilander.

“The addition of Jay will enable The Club at Ibis to set the highest standard for how private clubs teach and deliver tennis,” said Director of Sports Chuck Gill. “We are looking forward to all of the skills and experience that Jay will contribute to our members, guests, and staff.”

MISCELLANEOUS

When the US Open site was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, it was King who started the facility on the road to becoming the most environmentally-responsible tennis event in the world…The USTA’s Stacey Allaster, head of pro tennis, and Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim had a spirited conversation on the merits of on-court coaching…Isreal’s Dudi Sela thought he could get the match in, but when it went three sets he forfeited in observance of Yom Kippur…Former British No. 1 Laura Robson was caught up in the Las Vegas concert shooting that killed more than 50 people…In a turnaround, the police officer who assaulted James Blake and threw him to the cement is now suing Blake, the NYPD, the city of New York, and Blake’s book publisher…Could we see a WTA Finals this year where all eight players have the chance to finish as the year-end No. 1?…The USPTA recently celebrated their 90th anniversary in their newly-finished headquarters in Orlando next to the USTA National Campus, while the PTR announced a new office in the same Lake Nona region of Orlando.

American Women Enter Weekend Play at WTA Events in Hong Kong, China

Jennifer Brady

Two unseeded Americans are into the quarterfinals at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open after Nicole Gibbs benefited from a walkover against No. 1 seed Elina Svitolina who suffered a right leg injury, and Jennifer Brady upset No. 8 seed Shuai Zhang 6-3, 6-4.

The two Americans will meet each other on Friday with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Unseeded American Christina McHale is into the quarters at the Tianjin Open in China after Thursday ousting No. 6 seed Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-0, 6-4. In the Friday quarterfinals she will meet Italian qualifier and former Grand Slam finalist Sara Errani.

John Isner, Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey were the last Americans to exit the Shanghai Rolex Masters field in China on Thursday as Johnson fell to No. 4 seed Marin Cilic 7-6(1), 6-4, the No. 10-seeded Querrey lost to No. 6 Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 7-6(3), and the No. 12 Isner was upset 6-4, 7-6(4) by unseeded Serb Viktor Troicki.

They Said It

“Those days were very important. My first tournament was a satellite so I went to Germany, I earned a point, and came home 12 to 13 pounds lighter because I could only afford to eat once a day. I slept on the floor.”
— Former Grand Slam champion and Florida resident Petr Korda, these days coaching son Sebastian, talking about his early days on tour

“One year, an on-court commentator asked one of the girls to twirl after the match. Surely, he’s not going to go up to a man to ask, ‘Can you do a spin for us?'”
— Madison Keys, speaking to Vogue magazine on sexism and equality in tennis

“Serves are fun because it’s like a smash and you can put a lot of energy and strength into it. It’s cool using a lot of strength because you don’t usually get to use strength because you’re not allowed to punch people in the streets.”
— 8-year-old Kento Smith of Queens, NYC, on what he likes about playing tennis, speaking to the New York Times

Tennis on TV This Weekend

(EST, times subject to change)

Friday
12:30am — ATP Shanghai (live), Tennis Channel

Saturday
1am — ATP Shanghai (live), Tennis Channel

Sunday
4:30am — ATP Shanghai (live/delay), Tennis Channel