A trio of #NextGenATP Americans celebrated their first wins at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Wednesday. Taylor Fritz beat Czech Adam Pavlasek 6-2, 6-3 on Stadium Court. Fritz lost only three points on his first serve (17/20) in the 67-minute opener.

The 19-year-old right-hander will face 26^th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round. Fritz, the 2016 ATP Star Of Tomorrow presented by Emirates, will try to build off his third-round showing last week at the BNP Paribas Open, during which he earned his first Top 10 win against then-No. 7 Marin Cilic in the second round.

Twenty-year-old Jared Donaldson came back to erase three match points and advance past Brit Kyle Edmund 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 in two hours and 23 minutes. Donaldson was serving 0/40, 4-5 in the second set but won three consecutive points and eventually took the set to even the match.

In the decider, Donaldson cruised, breaking the 22-year-old Edmund twice and never facing a break point. The win marks Donaldson’s third in as many days after he qualified for the Masters 1000 tournament. The Rhode Island native will next meet 28^th seed Mischa Zverev of Germany.

Fellow qualifier Ernesto Escobedo also weathered a three-set contest to beat World No. 43 Daniel Evans 7-5, 0-6, 6-3. Escobedo saved both break points faced in the third set and will face 25^th seed Fernando Verdasco in the second round.

In other action, South African Kevin Anderson set-up a second-round contest with No. 2 seed Kei Nishikori after beating Serbian qualifier Dusan Lajovic 6-2, 7-5. Nishikori leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 2-1, but Anderson won their last meeting, at the 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Tommy Haas continued his comeback tour but came up just short. The 38-year-old Haas lost to Czech Jiri Vesely 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5 in two hours and 36 minutes. Haas falls to 0-3 on the year, after retiring from his first-round match at the Australian Open and losing in the first round of the Delray Beach Open.

“The mindset obviously was to go out there, compete as hard as I can, and try to win the match, just like every other time, and I came close. It’s one of those matches, again, this is only my third match of the year, so the year has been very different for me from a professional athlete point of view,” Haas said. “It’s frustrating to lose those kinds of matches. I would love to get over the hump. At the same time, everyone is out there to compete, and it came down to a few points here and there.”

You’ve probably seen mosquitoes swarm players or moths hop on the court at night. But a giant iguana sitting on a scoreboard and refusing to budge during an ATP World Tour match?

Miami Open fans probably couldn’t believe what they were seeing on Wednesday evening as Tommy Haas and Jiri Vesely battled on Court 1 at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. The score was tied 3-3 in the third set, with Haas set to serve during the first-round match, when an iguana climbed to the top of a baseline scoreboard and rested at the best seat in the stadium.

Fans, players and the chair umpire immediately noticed the iguana as the creature lingered. “It’s a big one,” the umpire said.

Officials tried to shoo the reptile away with a towel, but the iguana had worked hard for that spot and wasn’t about to saunter away at the first time of asking.

There was tennis to be played, however, so the chair umpire told Vesely that they were going to resume play, even with the iguana sitting on the scoreboard. “If it’s not moving and it’s just like that, we’re going to try and play,” he said. 

But Vesely, who was set to return Haas’ serve from the iguana’s side of the court, refused. “I cannot concentrate,” Vesely said.

“It’s not a dangerous animal,” the umpire pleaded.

But Vesely, like the iguana, wasn’t budging, and it was clear: This match was on the iguana’s time.

Haas, like the fans who were laughing and cheering, had fun with the creature. The ATP World Tour veteran walked over to the lizard and snapped a selfie with him to more cheers from the crowd.

“Maybe the iguana got the note that this is most likely the last time I’m playing here, and he wanted to say ‘Hi’ and take a peek or something,” said the 38-year-old Haas, who has said this season will be his last. “I don’t know, but it was pretty cool. Of that size, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that. I don’t know where he came from and why he wanted to come out on Court 1 and kind of say hello to everyone.”

Haas, who is in his 21^st year on tour, has had a career full of memorable moments, but he’ll likely remember the day the iguana interrupted his match. “It was fun. I thought that’s an interesting picture to take,” he said. “I don’t think it’ll ever happen again, to be honest, especially in my career, because it’s almost over anyway. It’s nice for him to stop by. Good-looking iguana.”

Eventually, though, the iguana’s fun in the sun ended, but not before a victory lap. The reptile pranced around and across the court, sprinting to the opposite baseline as the fans cheered the lizard’s courage. Officials eventually carefully carried the iguana away from the court, a towel wrapped around the Miami Open’s most persistent fan.

It’s not the first time a reptile has interrupted play. At an ATP Challenger Tour event in Sarasota last year, a snake slithered on court during match point.

The Miami Open presented by Itau has always been special for Kevin Anderson. The South African made quite the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 debut at the tournament in 2008. A year removed from a successful collegiate career at the University of Illinois, the South African qualified for the main draw and stunned reigning Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the second round. Three years later at Crandon Park, Anderson reached his first Masters 1000 quarter-final, this time coming up short against Djokovic.

As he makes his return to Miami this week, the 30-year-old Anderson looks back on his win over Djokovic and shares who he thinks is the toughest competitor in Masters 1000 history.

What makes the ATP Word Tour Masters 1000 tournaments special?
First of all, you have a full playing field, pretty much every single top player is here… Indian Wells and Miami, with the bigger draw, really showcase pretty much the Grand Slam-level of field in a more condensed format. The tournament goes a little quicker. From the other side, Paris, you have a much smaller draw, you have some incredible matches from early on in the tournament. 

Which is your favourite Masters 1000 tournament?
They’re all really special in their own way. I must say Indian Wells is one of my favourites. I love the surrounding areas. I’ve always been a big fan of the mountains and I usually try to hike a little bit. But also just how much they’ve put into the facilities, it’s quite to special to play at. Each court feels like a little grandstand court, even if it’s grandstand 8 with Hawk-Eye. It’s almost as close as you can get to a Grand Slam. 

Of the Masters 1000 matches you’ve played, which one stands out?
One of them I remember very well is from a long time ago when I beat Djokovic in Miami in 2008. Obviously I’ve played a lot of matches since then, but I was just out of college the year before and playing the Australian Open champion that year, there was a lot of people watching. That was just very exciting for me. 

Which player would you consider to be the toughest competitor in Masters 1000 history?
I think what’s really been incredible in terms of this crop of players, the top guys, as opposed to a decade or even two decades ago is how much importance and consistency they’ve placed on these Masters 1000 events. If you look at all the top guys who’ve done well – Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Murray as well – it’s really crazy to see how much emphasis and how well they perform. Novak is one title away in Cincinnati from winning all of them so he’s done an incredible job the last few years. 

What’s your favourite Masters 1000 court to play on?
Rome, Court 1 there with the statues (Stadio Pietrangeli). I’ve played a doubles match there, not singles, but if you play a local Italian there, it would be a pretty interesting match.  

Which Masters 1000 would you most want to win and why?
I think Miami. It’s got a very long history. I’ve been living in Florida for the last few years. I go down there and train a little bit, but I’d be happy with any of them.

Roger’s backhand return. It used to get picked on. It used to misfire and shank and generally underperform relative to the genius of the rest of his arsenal.

And now, all of a sudden, it’s a beast. The most under-rated part of Roger Federer’s game throughout his illustrious career is now the main attraction.

“I am just able to step into the court much easier than I ever have,” Federer said in a post-match interview at the BNP Paribas Open last week, after defeating Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round. “I think by coming over my backhand on the return from the get-go in the point, I can then dominate points from the start.”

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Federer’s 2017 resurgence clearly pinpoints his return game has improved, especially on break points.

Federer is ranked fifth-best in career service games won on the ATP Stats LEADERBOARDS, powered by the Infosys Information Platform, but just 41st in return games won. He drops all the way down to 71st when you look specifically at break points converted in his career, at 41.3 per cent (4321/10,462).

But not so in 2017. Not now with an iron-fist commitment to come over the backhand return.

Federer is all the way up to No. 3 on the ATP World Tour in 2017 with break points won at 50.4 per cent (59/117). This is a huge jump from his 2016 season, when he only won 39.5 per cent (92/233).

Federer won a mind-blowing 64 per cent (14/22) of his break points at the BNP Paribas Open last week. He won 54 per cent (7/13) against first serves, and an imperious 78 per cent (7/9) against second serves.

Federer may never have hit his backhand as well against Nadal as he did in their fourth-round clash last week in the desert.

Federer broke Nadal in the opening game of the match, blocking back a good backhand jam serve, and then forcing a forehand error. With Nadal serving at 1-3, 15/0, Federer raised the stakes with a cross-court backhand return winner from inside the baseline, against a first serve that was equal parts dismissive and nonchalant.

A couple of points later at break point, Federer once again moved forward inside the baseline against the Spaniard’s first serve, contacted the backhand return way out in front of his body, redirecting it straight back down the line for a return winner. Frozen rope. The shot had almost no follow through, but it did elicit seven small fist pumps as Federer walked to his court side chair enjoying a double break of serve.

On match point, with Nadal serving at 3-5, 15/40 in the second set, Federer jumped all over Nadal’s 84 m.p.h. second serve and rocketed a backhand winner straight back down the line. It was lights out for Nadal, as a glow shone brightly on Federer’s backhand return.

Federer won only 24 per cent of his return games in 2016. That’s already up to 29 per cent this year, and climbing.

Federer concedes he is having a lot fun on the court in 2017, exceeding expectations, and overflowing with confidence. Federer leads the Emirates ATP Race To London with 3,045 points – the same amount of points as No. 2 Nadal (1,635) and No. 3 Stan Wawrinka (1,410) combined.

Federer’s backhand return has caught fire, and now he is playing an intriguing global game of “catch me if you can” for the honour of year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, which will culminate at the ATP Finals in November.

The ATP has announced the 2016 ATP Challenger Tournaments of the Year, with three long-standing events voted by players as their most favoured ATP Challenger Tour events: the Sparkassen OPEN (Braunschweig, Germany), the Ethias Trophy (Mons, Belgium) and the Pekao Szczecin Open (Poland). Braunschweig and Mons were also 2015 winners in the inaugural year that players began voting for the awards.

The ATP Challenger Tournament of the Year awards recognise the leading standards set across the 166 Challenger tournaments in 42 countries in 2016.

ATP Challenger Tour Committee Co-Chairs, Alison Lee, ATP International Executive Vice President and Ross Hutchins, Chief Player Officer, said, “These Challengers in Braunschweig, Mons and Szczecin are all proud events which excel in providing the very best services for players and fans. The players appreciate the extra care the tournaments provide them and the fans obviously enjoy themselves with almost 70,000 spectators attending these three tournaments in total.”

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The Sparkassen OPEN in Braunschweig has received many accolades in its 23-year history. Tournament Director Volker Jaecke said, “It´s unbelievable and we say a very special thanks to the ATP and all players, who have voted for our ATP Challenger Sparkassen OPEN in Braunschweig again. It is such an honour for the whole team to receive the Challenger of the Year Award. After winning the award the last two years, we have been even more motivated to organise a great tournament for players, spectators, sponsors and partners. This year, we are very proud to have many ATP Challenger promoters in Braunschweig at the first global ATP Challenger Workshop and we are happy to show them our great event.”

Tournament Promoter of the Sparkassen Open, and CEO of Brunswiek Marketing, Harald Tenzer said, “It is important to mention that this tournament could not exist without all the sponsors and partners who support us each year. We are looking forward to another year of successful cooperation and organization with the ATP, especially with the new prize money level of $150,000 +H. We are hoping to be an important event for the ATP’s Next Generation.”

In 2017, all three Challenger winners have increased to the new top level of prize money on the Challenger circuit, €127,000 (US$150,000) plus hotel accommodation for players.

The Ethias Trophy in Mons, staged since 2005, is also a local crowd favourite. Former player and Tournament Director Dominique Monami said, “We are delighted to have won this prize for the third time. For the last 12 years, we have been helping talented young Belgians break into a difficult environment and offered tens of thousands of visitors a unique experience. Sport has been at the heart of our business model and this prize recognises our visitors and our team. We hope that it will help us safeguard the long-term future of the tournament.”

The Chairman of Pekao Szczecin Open, Krzysztof Bobala said, “I am very pleased that the Pekao Szczecin Open was appreciated and earned this prestigious award. In September, we will be celebrating the 25th anniversary and are proud that we will open a new chapter of our history by being honoured with this award. Our special thanks go to our sponsors and our event organizing team – without them our tournament wouldn’t be the same. With their support, we try every year to raise the bar and be one of the best tournaments in the world. The huge success of last year’s edition, which was highlighted by an attendance record of more than 25,000 people in the stands, gave us a lot of joy and satisfaction and showed that we are going in the right direction. On behalf of the entire crew at Pekao Szczecin Open, we promise we will do our best to constantly develop our tournament and for years to write a beautiful story not only of Szczecin but the entire Polish tennis family. The best is yet to come.”

The ATP Challenger Tour is a launching pad for up-and-coming players to as they look to make strides up the Emirates ATP Rankings, and onto the ATP World Tour. Challenger tournaments provide ATP players with important playing opportunities throughout the season, as well as providing local tennis fans the opportunity to see world-class tennis and future stars of the game.

In 2016, the ATP Challenger Tour comprised 166 events in 42 countries, offering a total of US$10.2 million prize money. More than 750,000 spectators attended these tournaments worldwide. ATP Challenger Tour matches are streamed live on the ATP Challenger Tour page.