The Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., is the biggest, most prestigious tennis tournament in the United States next to the US Open. Its history dates back to 1985 and is documented in pages in my book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com). The following are events that happened in the history of the tournament – also previously called the Lipton Championships, the NASDAQ-100 Open and the Ericsson Open – as excerpted from the book from March 25.
2001 – Eighteen-year-old Andy Roddick, ranked No. 119 in the world, starts the changing of the guard in American tennis as he upsets Pete Sampras 7-6 (2), 6-3 in the third round of the Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla. Roddick’s victory is his first over a player ranked in the top 10. It was the first time Sampras loses to a player outside the Top 100 since losing to No. 205 Karim Alami in the first round of Doha, Qatar in January 1994.
2002 – Pete Sampras is defeated by Fernando Gonzalez 7-6 (1), 6-1 in the third round of the Ericsson Open in what eventually becomes his last match at the event that is regarded as the fifth-biggest tournament in the world.
1990 – Nineteen-year-old Andre Agassi defeats Stefan Edberg 6-1, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 to win the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla., for the first time in his career. Agassi goes on to win the tournament a record six times, also winning in 1995, 1996, 2001, 2002 and 2003.
1995 – Steffi Graf defeats Kimiko Date 6-1, 6-4 to win the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla., for a fourth time. The $205,000 first prize puts Graf over the $15 million mark in career earnings.
2006 – Defending champion Kim Clijsters loses her opening match at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., to No. 54-ranked Jill Craybas of the United States 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. Clijsters double-faults 11 times and commits 78 unforced errors. “It was sort of in my hands,” says Clijsters, seeded No. 2. “I was the one making the mistakes. I was just trying to do a little too much.”
2007 – World No. 1 Justine Henin is two points from defeat and rallies from a 1-5 final-set deficit to defeat Virginie Razzano 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(5) in the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla. Says Henin, “I came back from nowhere almost. It’s this kind of situation that I play my best tennis. I proved it many times in the past. I probably love to be under pressure — but it’s good to win in two sets, too.”
2007 – Martina Hingis loses to 17-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., but settles for a nice consolation milestone – becoming the fourth player in the history of women’s tennis to eclipse the $20 million mark in career prize money, joining Steffi Graf, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Navratilova. Says Hingis, “It’s not great doing it this way.”