Sixteen years ago, Spaniard David Ferrer made his debut at the Miami Open presented by Itau. On Thursday night at the ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament, the 36-year-old Spaniard will begin his final tournament appearance against American Sam Querrey in the night session. Ferrer has a 32-16 tournament record, highlighted by a runner-up finish to Andy Murray in 2013. 

View Thursday’s first-round schedule and check back later for preview notes.

ORDER OF PLAY – THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

STADIUM start 12:00 noon
WTA match
[WC] Christopher Eubanks (USA) vs Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 
Not Before 4:00 pm
WTA match 
Not Before 7:30 pm
WTA match 
Not Before 9:00 pm
Sam Querrey (USA) vs [WC] David Ferrer (ESP) 

GRANDSTAND start 12:00 noon
Tennys Sandgren (USA) vs [Q] Alexander Bublik (KAZ) 
Not Before 2:00 pm
WTA match
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) vs Benoit Paire (FRA) 
Not Before 5:00 pm
WTA match 
Not Before 7:00 pm
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) vs [WC] Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 

COURT 1 start 11:00 am
Cameron Norrie (GBR) vs Jordan Thompson (AUS) 
WTA match
Bernard Tomic (AUS) vs [Q] Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 
Joao Sousa (POR) vs [WC] Chun Hsin Tseng (TPE) 
[Q] Reilly Opelka (USA) vs Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 
WTA match

BUTCH BUCHHOLZ start 11:00 am
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) vs [Q] Mikael Ymer (SWE) 
[Q] Andrey Rublev (RUS) vs Taro Daniel (JPN) 
3 WTA matches

COURT 6 start 11:00 am
Robin Haase (NED) vs [Q] Lukas Lacko (SVK) 
WTA match
[Q] Radu Albot (MDA) vs Matthew Ebden (AUS) 
WTA match
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) vs Filip Krajinovic (SRB) 
Pablo Andujar (ESP) vs Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 

COURT 8 start 11:00 am
WTA match
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) vs [Q] Pablo Cuevas (URU)
WTA match
[LL] Daniel Evans (GBR) vs Malek Jaziri (TUN)
WTA match
[LL] Mackenzie McDonald (USA) vs Ugo Humbert (FRA) 

COURT 9 start 11:00 am
5 WTA matches
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) vs Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 

COURT 2 start 11:00 am
WTA match
Martin Klizan (SVK) vs [Q] Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) 
[Q] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs [Q] Casper Ruud (NOR) 
Jaume Munar (ESP) vs [Q] Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND) 

COURT 3 start 11:00 am
Karen Khachanov (RUS) / Daniil Medvedev (RUS) vs Wesley Koolhof (NED) / Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 
Steve Johnson (USA) / Dominic Thiem (AUT) vs [7] Marcel Granollers (ESP) / Nikola Mektic (CRO) 
Alexander Zverev (GER) / Mischa Zverev (GER) vs Maximo Gonzalez (ARG) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) / Gilles Simon (FRA) vs Nicolas Jarry (CHI) / Franko Skugor (CRO) 

Alexander Zverev has a small dilemma. Not on the court, when he returns to action this week at the Miami Open presented by Itau, but with the newest addition to his family: a puppy that followed him home Tuesday upon a promotional visit to the Humane Society of Greater Miami.

“Legally, in the United States, you’re not allowed to take a dog (out of the country) until it’s six months old and it’s two months old right now… I can’t stay in the U.S. for the next four months!” Zverev shared during his pre-tournament press conference.

The World No. 3 already has a poodle named Lovik and hadn’t gone to the Humane Society with intentions of getting another dog, but shared that there was no question of adopting Pop once the terrier mix determined that Zverev was the chosen one.

“You know the saying, the owner doesn’t choose the dog, the dog chooses the owner?” said Zverev. “This one just came up to me, it looked at me. I petted him a little bit… It just followed me for 20-25 minutes. Every time I would stop, it would sit down and look at me. I walked somewhere else, it’d come after me, sit down and look at me again. I would walk in circles, it would walk after me every single time. At some point I sat down on the floor, it crawled up to my arms and never left me.”

With another deep run this week in Miami, he can extend his time with his new puppy, should Pop need to go live temporarily with a family friend in the United States until receiving the necessary clearance to travel to Europe.

Last year at this ATP Masters 1000 tennis tournament, Zverev came up short in the championship match against American John Isner, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4. He finished the season with four titles from six finals, highlighted by the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals trophy, and an ATP Tour-best 58 match wins.

“My consistency last year was unbelievable,” said Zverev. “If you look at it, I made three Masters finals, I won one. I won the [ATP] Finals. I made the semi-finals of five Masters out of nine – I think that’s the most of any player. Big events, normally I’ve done well, except the Grand Slams, which is a different story. In the smaller tournaments, when I played them, I either won them or made the semi-final or final, at least.”

Thus far in 2019, he has reached the Round of 16 at the Australian Open (l. to Raonic) and the final at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC (l. to Kyrgios). He was unable to maintain his momentum from his Acapulco run after being sidelined with illness for nine days, and struggled in a second-round loss against Jan-Lennard Struff at the BNP Paribas Open. But Zverev is now fever-free and ready to compete.

“I went on court without warm-up, without any preparation, just to play in a match and see if I have energy,” he said. “For me, you can’t play a Masters 1000 like this….

“But I’m happy to be here, I’m healthy again. History-wise, this is a place where I’ve always done well.”

Since making his Masters 1000 main draw debut here in 2015 as a qualifier, Zverev has compiled a 10-4 tournament record, including a victory over then-World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka two years ago en route to the quarter-finals. He reflected on the boost he received from the energetic crowds in Key Biscayne, and hoped that the special feeling would carry over to the Miami Open’s new home at the Hard Rock Stadium.

“I always play the best in countries and in places where I feel the energy…. I hope it’s going to take over from Crandon Park and take all the energy here and just to make it even bigger,” said Zverev, who will open his campaign against either Sam Querrey or David Ferrer. “Hopefully it’s going to be a similar vibe.” 

Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, former World No. 8, earned his first tour-level win since August 2017 on Wednesday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The 34-year-old swept American Bradley Klahn 6-3, 6-3 to advance at the ATP Masters 1000 event in South Florida.

Tipsarevic, No. 453 in the ATP Rankings, is playing in his third tournament of the season after missing all of 2018 to recover from surgeries on both hamstring tendons. It’s the latest comeback for the Belgrade native, who has endured numerous maladies to his feet and knees.

He missed 17 months, including all of the 2014 season, because of foot injuries, including two surgeries on his left foot to remove a benign tumor, before returning in April 2015.

But after the 2015 US Open, Tipsarevic had to miss seven more months because of patellar tendonitis in his right knee.

Read More: Tipsarevic Takes Steps In Latest Comeback

Good things, however, have happened to him in Miami, where he last played in 2013. At the time, Tipsarevic was ranked No. 9 and made the fourth round (l. to Simon). His best showing in South Florida was a quarter-final finish in 2008 (l. to No. 4 Davydenko) and 2012 (l. to No. 4 Murray). After his 2012 run, he reached his career-high of No. 8.

But now Tipsarevic is relying on a protected ranking of No. 88. He will face No. 22 seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round.

Other winners on a rainy day at the Masters 1000 event included Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, a quarter-finalist at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (l. to Federer). Hurkacz beat Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 6-3 and will next meet Indian Wells champion Dominic Thiem.

Argentines Federico Delbonis and Guido Andreozzi also advanced. Delbonis beat German Peter Gojowczyk 6-4, 6-2 and will next meet 32^nd seed John Millman. Andreozzi squeaked past Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 7-6(3), 6-4 and will play 15^th seed Italian Fabio Fognini in the second round.

Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena setup a second-round meeting with Croatian Borna Coric, the 11th seed, by beating American Denis Kudla 6-1, 6-2. Elsewhere, Germany’s Mischa Zverev saved eight match points in the second set of his victory over Spanish wild card Nicola Kuhn, who retired at 2-2 in the deciding set.

Novak Djokovic enjoyed plenty of success at the Miami Open presented by Itau when it was held at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, but the top seed hopes to create equally positive memories at the Hard Rock Stadium.

The Serbian seeks a seventh title at this event, which would give him sole ownership of the record he now shares with Andre Agassi. After a surprise third-round defeat last week to Philipp Kohlschreiber at the BNP Paribas Open, Djokovic went straight to the practise court for a few days of heavy training. Despite the new location, Djokovic said he can still draw on his past experiences at this event.

“Miami is very special for me because it’s where I won my first ATP Masters 1000 title in 2007,” said Djokovic. “It’s opened a lot of doors for me and made me believe in myself even more. I’m trying to refresh those memories, even though it’s a different venue, and I feel ready to perform here.”

Although he sports a 42-6 record at Crandon Park and a blank slate at the Hard Rock Stadium, Djokovic supported the decision to switch locations. After hitting on Stadium Court and giving it his stamp of approval, he said the new venue provides a unique opportunity to bring the sport to an even wider audience.

“I thought it was a bold move to get one of the biggest tournaments in the world in Key Biscayne, a historical venue where this tournament was held for so many years, to a football stadium and create something quite different that we haven’t seen before,” said Djokovic. “It’s a courageous move that can bring a lot of benefits for our sport.”

It’s hard to believe that 12 months ago, Djokovic suffered back-to-back opening round losses in Indian Wells and Miami, leaving critics to ponder what his next move would be. Since then, he’s amassed three Grand Slam titles, two Masters 1000 titles (Cincinnati, Shanghai), finished runner-up at the Nitto ATP Finals (l. to Zverev) and is the clear No. 1 in the ATP Rankings.

Djokovic credited the guidance of his family, particularly his brothers Marko and Djordje, with his success over the past 12 months. Both of his brothers competed on the ATP Tour and understand the sacrifices that are necessary to excel in tennis, but the top seed said the simple lessons he’s learned from them have had the most impact.

“I get reminded by them to make myself more conscious of where I am, to be grateful that I have a family and success in the sport that I love,” said Djokovic. “I have a lot of great advice and quality time spent with my brothers… I’ve always wanted to develop that kind of relationship with them.”

His new perspective has been less results-focused and is more process-oriented. Djokovic opens his Miami campaign against Aussie Bernard Tomic or Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro, but said he isn’t worried about anything besides his own performance.

“I don’t expect anything. I’m just working to be the best version of myself on the court this year and trying to get to the level that I was at during the Australian Open,” said Djokovic. “If I can do that, I have a chance to go far during this tournament.”