Roger Federer arrives at the Miami Open presented by Itaú with plenty of momentum, fresh off his 100th tour-level title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and a trip to the BNP Paribas Open final. 

The 37-year-old Swiss will be competing in Miami for the 18th time, and he will be pursuing his fourth title at the tournament.

Fast Facts
– Federer and Rafael Nadal’s first two FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings came in Miami, with Nadal emerging victorious from their first match in 2004. The Spaniard needed just 70 minutes to advance in straight sets.

– Federer has lost the first two sets in a best-of-five set tour-level final eight times. The only match he came back to win was the 2005 Miami final against Nadal.

– The Swiss star’s first Masters 1000 final came in Miami in 2002. Former World No. 1 Andre Agassi, who owns a record-tying six Miami titles (also Novak Djokovic), defeated Federer in four sets.

– Federer has not competed in doubles in Miami since 2003. But that year, he partnered Belarusian Max Mirnyi to the title, dropping just one set en route to lifting the trophy.

– Miami is one of four Masters 1000 events that Federer has triumphed at three times or more. He has also done so in Indian Wells, Hamburg and Cincinnati.

Five Federer Stats From Miami
First Match: 1999, Kenneth Carlsen def. Federer 7-5, 7-6(4)

First Title: 2005, Federer def. Rafael Nadal 2-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-1

Record: 50-14

Top 10 record : 9-5

6-0 Sets Won: 1

Most Recent Appearance: 2018
Federer is the most recent player to complete the ‘Sunshine Double’ — winning Indian Wells and Miami in the same year — in 2017. But after the Swiss failed to convert three championship points in the Indian Wells last year,

Federer lost his Miami opener against World No. 175 Thanasi Kokkinakis. It was the first time the Swiss had dropped consecutive matches since 2014.

Seed at the 2019 Miami Open presented by Itau: No. 4

Did You Know?
Federer has won three matches in final-set tie-breaks in Miami, with two of them coming in back-to-back battles in the 2017 quarter-finals (def. Berdych) and semi-finals (def. Kyrgios).

Cino Marchese, a marketing pioneer, tournament director, talent scout and manager, passed away in Rome on Sunday aged 81.

Marchese, who was head of Italian operations for the International Management Group (IMG), the global sports and management company, was involved in top-level skiing, tennis, football and basketball for more than 25 years. He assisted the careers of Adriano Panatta, Bjorn Borg, Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati and Goran Ivanisevic (tennis); footballers Roberto Baggio and Paolo Rossi; in addition to Olympic and world champion skiers Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba.

Nicknamed ‘The Silver Fox’, Marchese, a tall, genial, grey-haired former basketball player, brought men’s professional tennis to Palermo in 1979 (an ATP 250 clay-court tournament that ran until 2005) and he was also a long-time promoter of the Milan event.

He also worked as the public relations director of Italian clothing manufacturer, LaFont, which launched in 1976, and he helped to sign tennis players, including Cliff Drysdale, John Alexander, Phil Dent, Kim Warwick, Tim Gullikson and Tom Gullikson.

Marchese, who studied economics and commerce in Genoa and foreign languages at Bocconi, started working as a goldsmith in the family business, but became Mark McCormack’s IMG sports manager in Italy at the age of 35.

In 1980, he dealt with the management of Italian commercial television rights on behalf of TWI, a company of the IMG Group, and also organised the 1985 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Bormio.

Marchese is fondly remembered as a ‘mayor’ of the VIP village, which he helped to revitalise at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. In 1982, he sold three of the five hospitality tents for $5,000 each and hosted up to 3,000 people, when the ATP Masters 1000 tournament’s total revenue was $500,000.

He is survived by his wife, Gabriella.

Cino Marchese, sports agent and manager, born 2 November 1937, died 17 March 2019

#NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime is one win away from making his debut at the Miami Open presented by Itau. The 18-year-old overcame a sluggish start on Monday to beat Italian Luca Vanni 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Auger-Aliassime, who fell in the first round of qualifying last year to American Mackenzie McDonald, will play 37-year-old Paolo Lorenzi of Italy for a place in the main draw.

The Canadian earned his first Top 10 win last week at the BNP Paribas Open against Greece’s #NextGenATP star Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the third round at the season’s first ATP Masters 1000 event.

McDonald and another seeded American, Reilly Opelka, also advanced. McDonald dismissed Peter Polansky of Canada 7-6(4), 7-5, and Opelka, the third seed, squeaked past Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen 7-6(7), 7-6(3). McDonald will meet 18^th seed Lorenzo Sonego of Italy, and Opelka will face Spain’s Marcel Granollers.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, on the comeback from knee surgery last April, beat big-serving Czech Lukas Rosol 6-3, 6-4. Tsonga, No. 118 in the ATP Rankings, will next meet six-time ATP Tour titlist Pablo Cuevas. Top seed and Delray Beach champion Radu Albot also advanced, beating Italian Gianluigi Quinzi, who competed in the 2017 Next Gen ATP Finals, 7-6(5), 6-0, and will meet American Mitchell Krueger in the second round.

#NextGenATP star Denis Shapovalov has enjoyed a steady climb up the ATP Rankings. The 19-year-old will have an opportunity to crack the Top 20 for the first time if he makes a deep run at the Miami Open presented by Itaú.

Shapovalov begins the year’s second ATP Masters 1000 event as World No. 23, his career-high ATP Ranking. Since he advanced to the fourth round in Miami in 2018, if he doesn’t repeat that performance, he’ll drop 90 points on 1 April. To give himself a chance of cracking the Top 20, Shapovalov will have to advance to the semi-finals or better. Shapovalov would add 360 points for a semi-final showing, a net gain of 270 points.

Making it that far in Miami may seem like a tough task for a teenager, but Shapovalov is no stranger to deep runs at Masters 1000 tournaments. In 2017, the Canadian stunned the tennis world with his thrilling run to the last four at the Rogers Cup. Last year, he impressed by making the semi-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open.

Shapovalov may also be confident based on his draw. He could face a tough test in the third round against ninth seed Marin Cilic in the third round, but Shapovalov defeated the Croat in straight sets in Indian Wells. The top seed in Shapovalov’s quarter of the draw is reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev.

Another #NextGenATP player who could make a move is reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek lost in the first round in Miami last year, so while he will drop 10 points, he is guaranteed to gain a minimum of 10 points regardless of his result. At worst, he will break even on 1 April and stay at 3,160 points.

Since World No. 8 Juan Martin del Potro drops 360 points (2018 semi-finalist) and will not gain anything due to his withdrawal (knee), Tsitsipas can pass him by making the fourth round (adding 90 points). World No. 9 John Isner drops 1,000 points from his victory last year. So in reality, Tsitsipas begins the event with a 665-point advantage over the American.

It is an important week if Isner hopes to remain in the Top 10, a group he has been a member of since 10 September 2018. To have any chance of maintaining his spot in the Top 10, Isner must advance to the semi-finals or better.

Read: Five Early-Round Matches To Watch In Miami

While it might be tough this tournament, former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka is in good position to climb closer to the top of the ATP Rankings in the next six weeks. Wawrinka, currently No. 37, is at his highest standing since last May.

The better news for the Swiss is that he has no points to defend until the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in May, and only 65 points through the end of Roland Garros. Wawrinka could face Roger Federer in the third round in Miami.

Points Per Round In Miami

After a thrilling first ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year in Indian Wells, won by Dominic Thiem, the ATP Tour heads to Miami with another 1,000 ATP Ranking points up for grabs for the titlist. ATPTour.com looks at five potential early-round matches to watch:

Kei Nishikori vs. Nick Kyrgios (R3)
At the BNP Paribas Open, there was much anticipation for a potential Novak Djokovic vs. Nick Kyrgios third-round battle. But German Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated them both.

There is another third-round blockbuster on the horizon for Kyrgios. But this time, it could be against sixth seed Kei Nishikori. If both guys advance to the third round, the Aussie will be especially motivated, given that Nishikori has won all four of their FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings.

“I always find it tough playing him,” Kyrgios said after his most recent loss against Nishikori, at Wimbledon last year.

Kyrgios has one of the best serves on the ATP Tour. And when he is on his game, like when he triumphed at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco, he can take the racquet out of almost anyone’s hands. But Nishikori’s returning skills, speed, and ability to play aggressively could make for a thriller in Miami, three years after he beat Kyrgios in this event’s semi-finals in straight sets.

Novak Djokovic vs. Tomas Berdych (R2)
There might not be a more enticing second-round match than the potential of top seed Novak Djokovic meeting former World No. 4 Tomas Berdych. Less than four years ago, they were both inside the Top 5 of the ATP Rankings at the same time.

Djokovic has won 25 of 28 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against Berdych — including all 21 of their matches on hard courts. But the Czech has proven his ability to challenge anyone in the world, owning multiple victories against each member of the ‘Big Four’.

Berdych at his best elicits short replies with his serve and immediately seizes control of rallies with his flat, penetrating groundstrokes. He got off to a quick start in 2019, winning 11 of his first 14 matches.

But Djokovic will be hungry to get back on track after a third-round loss against Kohlschreiber in Indian Wells. Last year, the six-time champion lost his opener in Miami against Benoit Paire. The World No. 1 certainly won’t want to endure deja vu.

Roger Federer vs. Stan Wawrinka (R3)
Rematch, anybody? Roger Federer beat Stan Wawrinka in the third round at the BNP Paribas Open last week. Wawrinka may have a chance to return the favour in the third round at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Like Djokovic-Berdych, this has mostly been a one-sided FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry, with Federer winning 22 of 25 battles against his Swiss compatriot. But former World No. 3 Wawrinka has shown throughout his career that his best tennis is as good as anyone’s.

Wawrinka did a good job of making 73 per cent of his first serves against his fellow Swiss star in the California desert. But Federer was not troubled, winning 41 per cent of those points. In fact, Wawrinka won 12 per cent more second-serve points than he did with his first delivery.

If the friends do battle in the third round, it’ll be an opportunity for a breakthrough for Wawrinka, who is still working his way back from two left knee surgeries in August 2017. The 30th seed seeks his first win against a Top 5 opponent since beating then-World No. 1 Andy Murray at 2017 Roland Garros.

Marin Cilic vs. Denis Shapovalov (R3)
Another rematch that could be on the cards in Miami would pit Marin Cilic against #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov. In the span of five months, the two have split their only two FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings.

In Indian Wells, Shapovalov needed just 78 minutes to dismiss Cilic, winning all but three of his first-serve points and saving the two break points he faced. This matchup is entertaining in that both have similar games, looking to land a big first serve and dictate play from the first ball of rallies. The intrigue: who can do their best better?

Shapovalov advanced to the fourth round in Miami on debut last year, and he may have to get by Cilic in the third round if he is to repeat that showing, and possibly go further, this time. Cilic, on the other hand, has lost three of his past four matches, so he will be keen to perform well at the year’s second Masters 1000 event.

Sam Querrey vs. David Ferrer (R1)
Perhaps the most interesting first-round match in Miami could be former World No. 3 David Ferrer’s last at the tournament. The Spaniard faces former World No. 11 Sam Querrey, who has won at least one match in Miami 11 times.

Both players will be plenty motivated, as Ferrer, who made the final in 2013, will try to make a magical run in his final hard-court Masters 1000 event. World No. 68 Querrey is at his lowest ATP Ranking since 2014, so he will be hungry to get back on track with a strong performance in Miami.

The bonus for the winner: a clash with second seed Alexander Zverev.

Roger Federer could meet compatriot Stan Wawrinka in the third round for the second straight tournament at the Miami Open presented by Itaú. After Federer defeated Wawrinka in straight sets in Indian Wells en route to the final (l. to Thiem), Wawrinka, the 30th seed may get a chance to avenge that loss in the second ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year.

If the Swiss stars meet, it will be their 26th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting (Federer leads 22-3). All three of Wawrinka’s victories have come on clay, at either Roland Garros or a Masters 1000 tournament. But perhaps Federer was a prophet after beating his friend in the California desert.

““I think he knows, as well as I, that he’s very, very close and it’s just a matter of time until he’s going to break through again,” Federer said after their Indian Wells match.

Federer will have to get past Aussie Matthew Ebden or a qualifier, and Wawrinka must defeat Serbian Filip Krajinovic or Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert to set the popcorn battle. Federer has won all 12 of his clashes with Wawrinka at hard-court Grand Slams or Masters 1000 events, triumphing on eight of those occasions in straight sets.

Watch Highlights Of Roger & Stan’s Indian Wells Clash:

Also in their quarter is sixth seed Kevin Anderson, Rolex Paris Masters champion Karen Khachanov, 13th seed Daniil Medvedev and 2017 Nitto ATP Finals winner Grigor Dimitrov.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who is pursuing a record seventh Miami title, will look to get back on track after a surprising third-round loss against German Philipp Kohlschreiber in Indian Wells. Regardless of who he meets in the second round, it will be a familiar foe. Djokovic will play former World No. 4 Tomas Berdych or Aussie Bernard Tomic.

The top seed has won 25 of 28 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against Berdych — including all 21 of their matches on hard courts — and all five of his clashes with Tomic. But Berdych owns four victories against World No. 1s, including a triumph in Miami against then-World No. 1 Federer nine years ago.

The first seeded opponent Djokovic could face is No. 32 seed John Millman, who beat Roger Federer in the fourth round of last year’s US Open before Djokovic dismissed him. No. 22 seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who upset Djokovic en route to the Doha title in January, could be a fourth-round opponent for the Serbian. No. 15 seed Fabio Fognini, who partnered Djokovic to the Indian Wells doubles semi-finals, is also in his section.

Fresh off his maiden Masters 1000 triumph in Indian Wells, Dominic Thiem carries plenty of confidence into Miami. Matching his career-high ATP Ranking of No. 4, the third seed will play Indian Wells quarter-finalist Hubert Hurkacz or Italian Matteo Berrettini in the second round. The next highest-ranked player in his quarter is Kei Nishikori. There may be another popcorn third-round match, as Nishikori could face Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC winner Nick Kyrgios. 

Seventh seed John Isner begins his title defence against Slovak Martin Klizan or a qualifier, and he could face Australian Open semi-finalist Lucas Pouille in the third round. Alexander Zverev, who lost to Isner in last year’s final, is the second seed. The German will face an early test against former World No. 3 David Ferrer or home favourite Sam Querrey. 

Zverev’s quarter is filled with #NextGenATP stars. He could play 28th seed Frances Tiafoe in the third round, while reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas and 20th seed Denis Shapovalov are also among the #NextGenATP players in the bottom fourth of the draw.

Projected Quarter-final Matches
No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 7 John Isner
No. 3 Dominic Thiem vs. No. 5 Kei Nishikori
No. 4 Roger Federer vs. No. 6 Kevin Anderson
No. 2 Alexander Zverev vs. No. 8 Stefanos Tsitsipas