By Justin Ross
Fabio Fognini (Italy)
World Rank: No. 40
Tournament Seed: Unseeded
2017 Highlights: Quarters appearance in Brasil (lost to Carreno Busta)
Road to Semis: Wins over R. Harrison, D. Young, J. Chardy and J. Sousa
Indian Wells Finish: Round of 32 loss to P. Cuevas
Best Miami Finish: Semis in 2017
Fun Fact: Fognini’s win against K. Nishikori was his first victory over a top 5 competitor since 2015
Head-To-Head w/ Semifinals Opponent: 3-7 (vs. Nadal)
Rafael Nadal (Spain)
World Rank: No. 7
Tournament Seed: No. 5
2017 Highlights: Finals appearances at Acapulco (lost to S. Querrey) and the Australian Open (lost to R. Federer)
Road to Semis: Wins over D. Sela, P. Kohlschreiber, N. Mahut, and J. Sock
Indian Wells Finish: Round of 16 loss to R. Federer
Best Miami Finish: four-time Miami Open finalist (2005, 2008, 2011, 2014)
Fun Fact: At the 2017 Miami Open, Nadal joined Federer and Ferrer as the only active players with at least 1,000 matches.
Head-To-Head w/ Semifinals Opponent: 7-3 (vs. Fognini)
Roger Federer (Switzerland)
World Rank: No. 6
Tournament Seed: No. 4
2017 Highlights: Tournament wins at the Australian Open (beat R. Nadal) and Indian Wells (beat S. Wawrinka)
Road To Semis: Wins over F. Tiafoe, J. Del Potro, R. Bautista Agut, and T. Berdych.
Indian Wells Finish: Finals win over S. Wawrinka
Best Miami Finish: Two Miami Open wins (2005, 2006)
Fun Fact: Seeded at No. 17 in the 2017 Australian Open, Federer became the lowest seed to win a Grand Slam since 2004.
Head-To-Head w/ Semifinals Opponent: 0-1 (vs. Kyrgios)
Nick Kyrgios
World Rank: No. 16
Tournament Seed: No. 12
2017 Highlights: Semis appearances in Marseille (lost to J. Tsonga) and Acapulco (lost to S. Querrey)
Road To Semis: Wins over D. Dzumhur, I. Karlovic, David Goffin, and A. Zverev
Indian Wells Finish: Quarters loss to R. Federer (food-poisoning forced retirement from match)
Best Miami Finish: Semis in 2016 and 2017
Fun Fact: Kyrgios was the first player to beat N. Djokovic in consecutive tournaments since 2012
Head-To-Head w/ Semifinals Opponent: 1-0 (vs. Federer)
About the Miami Open presented by Itaú
The 2017 Miami Open will be played March 20-April 2 at the Crandon Tennis Center in Miami. The two-week combined event is owned and operated by IMG. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a Premier Mandatory event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men’s and women’s tennis players in the world. The tournament is widely regarded as the most glamorous on the ATP and WTA calendars because of its exotic Miami location, thriving nightlife, five-star hotels and restaurants, beautiful weather and beaches, and its celebrity appeal. For ticket information, call +1.305.442.3367 or visit www.miamiopen.com.
About Itaú
Itau is the largest Latin America privately owned bank, with approximately 95,000 employees and operations in 20 countries throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. Itaú’s relationship with sport goes back to the 1970s, when Itaú first sponsored the Itaú Tennis Cup in Brazil in 1970. Itaú has been a sponsor of the Miami Open for the last six years, and also sponsors the Rio Open, the only combined ATP/WTA event in South America. Itaú also supports the Brazilian Women’s Tennis Circuit, only female professional tournament in South America, certified by the Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), as well as the Tennis Institute Training Center, responsible for the development of young, new talent.
About IMG
IMG is a global leader in sports, fashion and media operating in more than 25 countries around the world. IMG’s businesses include Events Media, College, Golf, Tennis, Performance and IMG Academy, Fashion, Models, Clients, Licensing, Joint Ventures, and creative management agency Art + Commerce. In 2014, IMG was acquired by WME, the world’s leading entertainment and media agency. Together, the companies offer an unparalleled client roster; strategic partnerships with sponsors and brands; and marquee assets across sports, entertainment, events, music and fashion.
