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 27.
March 27
1988 – Twenty-three-year-old Mats Wilander outlasts 35-year-old Jimmy Connors 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in 3 hours, 39 minutes to win the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla.
1999 – Richard Krajicek of the Netherlands wins the biggest title of his career besides his 1996 Wimbledon crown, defeating No. 74-ranked Sebastien Grosjean of France 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 in the men’s singles final at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla. Grosjean becomes the lowest-ranked player to reach the final in Key Biscayne.
1997 – With on-court temperatures hovering around 110 degrees, sixteen-year-old Martina Hingis outlasts Jana Novotna 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in the semifinals of the Lipton Championships. Says Novotna of the hot conditions of the match, “Occasionally I looked in the corner – 105 and it’s like ‘Nice frying, let’s pour some olive oil on me.” Jim Courier, seeded No. 22, defeats No. 4 seed Goran Ivanisevic 6-2, 7-6 (2) in the men’s quarterfinals. Says Goran following the match, “I gave him everything – nice presents.”
1998 – Marcelo Rios allows Tim Henman only five points in the final set in his 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 semifinal victory at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne. Andre Agassi, ranked No. 31 in the world, also advances into the men’s singles final, defeating Alex Corretja 6-4, 6-2. Says Agassi of the talk of the race for the world No. 1 ranking between Pete Sampras and Marcelo Rios following his victory, “I don’t know why they are all talking about Rios and Sampras, at the end of the year, I’m going to be No. 1.” Agassi goes on to finish No. 6, while Sampras finishes No. 1 and Rios No. 2.
2007 – For the second time in a month, Roger Federer loses to Guillermo Canas of Argentina, falling by a 7-6 (2), 2-6, 7-6 (5) margin in the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla. Canas ends Federer’s 41-match win streak in the first round of the Indian Wells two weeks earlier and in Key Biscayne, ends the Swiss maestro’s chance at winning his third straight title in the island paradise. Says Federer. “It’s one of those matches I never should have lost.” Says Canas, “I’m surprised because I beat two times the No. 1 in the world. Really, I don’t know what is my secret I’m just trying to enjoy the moment. For me it’s like a dream.” Fellow No. 1 seed Maria Sharapova is also eliminated from the event but in a much more convincing fashion, losing 6-1, 6-1 to Serena Williams.