Citing an abdominal injury, Venus Williams has withdrawn from the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open.

Here is the official press release from the Sony Ericsson Open tournament :

VENUS WILLIAMS WITHDRAWS FROM SONY ERICSSON OPEN

MIAMI, Fla. (www.sonyericssonopen.com) – Three-time Sony Ericsson Open champion and
7-time Grand Slam winner, Venus Williams, has withdrawn from the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open.

Williams is forced to withdraw from this year’s tournament due to an abdominal injury she incurred earlier this year at the Australian Open. The tennis star is currently receiving ongoing rehabilitation at home and released the following statement.

“I am very sorry to not be playing in the Sony Ericsson Open this year. It is one of my favorite tournaments on the circuit, especially because it is so close to my home in South FL. I look forward to returning to the tour soon.”

“It is unfortunate that Venus Williams will be unable to play at this year’s Sony Ericsson Open. She will be missed and we wish her a speedy recovery,” said Adam Barrett, Sony Ericsson Open Tournament Director. “We hope to see her back on the courts soon.”

Despite Williams’ withdrawal fans will still be able to see exhilarating matches as the women’s field features power players including defending Sony Ericsson Open champion Kim Clijsters; current World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki; and three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova.

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Juan Martin Del Potro returned to the winner circle today.  Del Potro fought off Janko Tipsarevic in the final of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships with a 6-4,6-4 victory to earn his first tour title since the 2009 U.S. Open.

At the conclusion of his semifinal match last evening, Del Potro emphasized that despite being exhausted he would give it his all in the final.  Early on, Del Potro looked conspicuously fatigued.  Although the Argentine held easily his first service game, it was more a consequence of Tipsarevic making too many errors.  After getting ahead 2-1, Tipsarevic lined up a backhand down the line winner beautifully to secure double break point.  As a result of a Tipsarevic errant forehand and a questionable second serve ace, Del Potro got to deuce.  After giving the umpire a piece of his mind, Tipsarevic connected on a forehand crosscourt winner for a third break point.  That time when Del Potro misfired with the backhand down the line, Tipsarevic had the break for a 3-1 edge and later consolidated.  Despite difficulties, Del Potro guarded serve the subsequent game.  Next, showing a burst of energy for the first time, Del Potro sprinted to track down a Tipsarevic dropshot and put it away for a winner.  With that Del Potro had break point.  He converted when Tipsarevic’s forehand up the line landed long.  After quickly getting to 4 all, Del Potro provoked a forehand miscue from Tipsarevic on game point for deuce.  With two additional mistakes by Tipsarevic, Del Potro obtained the break and a 5-4 advantage.  Serving for the set, Del Potro had two shots go off course and double faulted to hand Tipsarevic triple break point.  By hanging tough and serving well, Del Potro arrived at deuce.  The Argentine wiped out two more break points and ultimately on his third chance secured the opening set.

Despite outplaying Del Potro in the previous set, Tipsarevic found himself behind in the scoreboard.  Nevertheless, the Serb attempted to soldier on.  The initial game of the second set, thanks to his long wing span, Del Potro caught up with a backhand volley from Tipsarevic and struck a backhand pass for a winner for break point.  With great defense, Tipsarevic denied Del Potro the game.  Five game points later, Tipsarevic captured the first game.  Following a couple of comfortable service games, at 2 all, Tipsarevic fumbled a backhand down the line to give Del Potro double break point.  The Serb then double faulted to gift Del Potro a 3-2 lead.  Later, with a forehand volley winner, Tipsarevic manufactured double break point of his own.  Yet, on both occasions, he was turned away.  Tipsarevic had two more opportunities to break in that game, but Del Potro shut him out.  After salvaging his eleventh out of twelve break points, Del Potro consolidated for 4-2. Although Tipsarevic continued to press, Del Potro aided by a vocal Argentine public held on for a 5-3 lead.  Serving for the match, Del Potro revved up the mph on the serve to get to triple championship point.  When Tipsarevic’s forehand crosscourt sailed long, Del Potro captured the title.

In analyzing the match, Tipsarevic iterated that it boiled down to “not executing well. . . .and not taking my chances”.  For Tipsarevic, the first set was pivotal because “I was disappointed that I lost it even though Del Potro was not playing his game”.

Del Potro was frank in saying “I think [Janko] deserved to win the first set. . . I was trying to focus on my serve [the first set] because I knew it was only one break. . . I knew I would have the opportunity to comeback. . . When I had it, I took it.  I had a little bit of luck granted. . . My forehand began to work which helped me in closing out the first set”.

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World number-one Raphael Nadal is set to play his first round match at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open on Saturday, March 26. Nadal will highlight the night session on the opening weekend of the tournament.

Here is the official press release from the Sony Ericsson Open tournament :

WORLD NO. 1 RAFAEL NADAL TO OPEN EVENING SESSION PLAY ON SATURDAY, MARCH 26

MIAMI, Fla. (www.sonyericssonopen.com) – World No. 1 Rafael Nadal will make his highly anticipated return to South Florida at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open on Saturday, March 26 (Session 10) at 8:00 p.m. Nadal’s potential opponents will be determined on Monday, March 21 at 12 p.m. when the men’s draw is announced.

Nadal has proven to be a fan favorite in Miami repeatedly playing in front of sold-out crowds at the Sony Ericsson Open. The charismatic Spanish star considers the Sony Ericsson Open one of his preferred stops on the tour, as he enjoys not only the Miami weather, but the eclectic culture, and the array of outdoor activities including his favorites fishing and golf.

The Sony Ericsson Open provides a total entertainment experience with a two-week fusion of events with fashion, food, and musical performances in between blockbuster matches. Prior to Nadal’s match, there is a variety of performances scheduled including a Samba and Capoeria dance show at 6 p.m. on the entertainment stage and a performance by world renowned Spanish guitarist, Nicholas Marks, at 7:30 p.m. on stadium court. Marks, a South Florida based musician, is known for his vibrant musical styles that blend Spanish flamenco, Rumba, and American Pop music.

Tickets to the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open are on sale now and can be purchased by phone (305-442-3367) or via internet at www.sonyericssonopen.com. An electrifying two weeks of tennis conclude with the women’s final on Saturday, April 2 and the men’s final on Sunday, April 3.

The three-time Sony Ericsson Open semi finalist (’05,’08,’10) is seeking his first championship of the Sony Ericsson Open purple courts. Nadal fell to eventual champ Andy Roddick in a three-set thriller in the semifinals of last year’s tournament.

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Juan Martin Del Potro advanced to the second round of the Delray Beach Tennis Championships Tuesday night with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Richard Berankis of Lithuania.

Del Potro and Berankis traded breaks early in the first set before going back on serve in the sixth game. Serving at 4-5, Berankis was broken, handing Del Potro the first set. In the second set, Berankis was no match for Del Potro who easily ran away with the second set and the match.

In the post match interview, Del Potro responded to following questions from MiamiTennisNews.com:

Q: Since your return from your wrist surgery have you had to adjust the way you play or are are playing at the same level when you won the US Open?
Del Potro: It depends on the climate and how I feel on a given day. I do not have the same strength however my game remains the same. I try to be aggressive with all my shots as that is what has allowed me to win tournaments.

Q: Are you taking any special measures to protect your wrist or are you back to 100%?
Del Potro: No, I’m still rehabbing and receiving treatments. It is a very long process. It still hasn’t been a year since I had the surgery. The norm would be that I would have some pain. At the moment [the recovery] is going well.

Del Potro, who is making his first appearance in Delray, will face Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia in the second round. On Monday night Gabashvili upset the fourth-seeded American John Isner in a three sets.

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Citing flu-like symptoms, Andy Roddick has pulled out of the the 2011 Delray Beach International Championships.

Roddick held a press conference this afternoon where he expressed his disappointment at having to pull out of the event given that he has not played the tournament since 2003. On his condition, Roddick stated that ” I woke up yesterday and felt like I got hit by a bus”. Tuesday’s night session will now feature Juan Martin Del Potro taking on Richard Berankis.

Here is the official press release from ITC tournament following Roddick’s press conference :

Delray Beach, FL – Top seed Andy Roddick has pulled out of the Delray Beach International Championships because of illness.

Roddick said during a press conference late Monday afternoon that he began experiencing flu-like symptoms prior to his Memphis final and has been prescribed antibiotics.

“I’m very disappointed. I’ve waited too long to come back and play this tournament,” said Roddick, who is a former resident of nearby Boca Raton where he played in high school. “It’s just unfortunate timing. I was looking forward to coming back. I honestly don’t feel I can go out there and give my best.”

Roddick won his 30th ATP World Tour title Sunday when he defeated Canadian Milos Raonic in three sets at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis, joining Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as the only active tennis players to win at least 30 ATP titles. Roddick, ranked No. 8 in world, notched the victory with a remarkable diving forehand shot down the line on match point.

Roddick’s spot atop the bracket has been filled by qualifier Marinko Matosevic.

Tournament director Mark Baron announced that Tuesday’s evening session would begin at 5:30 pm with a Ashley Fisher/Stephen Huss vs. Jack Sock/Donald Young doubles match, followed by a 7:15 pm Juan Martin del Potro vs Richard Berankis ATP World Tour first round match, followed by the ATP Champions Tour Final.

As usual, Delray Beach will be the ATP’s first stop in South Florida.  This year, the field is more spectacular than ever with 2003 U.S. Open title holder Andy Roddick and 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro gracing fans with their appearance.  Moreover, former champions Marty Fish, Kei Nishikori, Xavier Malisse and Ricardo Mello will also take part in the festivities.  The draw has been announced, here’ a closer look as to how this thrilling week may unfold.

Roddick, the top seed, may have to face Janko Tipsarevic for the second consecutive week.  This time, Roddick would battle Tipsarevic or 2010 finalist Ivo Karlovic for a spot in the semifinals.

Third seed and wildcard entry Sam Querrey may be another threat to Roddick’s quest to the final.  However, prior to a potential date with Roddick, Querrey may have to overcome either Nishikori, Russian Igor Andreev or the always dangerous Benjamin Becker in the quarterfinals.

In the bottom section, 2009 titlist Fish is the second seed.  Veteran Rainer Schuettler could present a grave challenge for Fish in the second round.  Then, in the quarterfinals, Fish could contend with Radek Stepanek.

Also, in Fish’s part of the draw are John Isner and Del Potro.  These latter two just clashed in Memphis and could see each other again in the second round.  American teenager Ryan Harrison has a terrific opportunity to get to the quarterfinals.  But, in that round, Isner or Del Potro may await him.  Consequently, Fish, Del Potro, Stepanek and Isner appear the ones with the truest chance to advance to the final.

While the likelihood of an all American final exist, Roddick vs. Isner or Roddick vs. Fish, there are plenty of potential spoilers.  Since returning from his wrist injury, Memphis seems to be a turning point for Del Potro.  The Argentine looks to have regained some of the form and confidence which propelled him to the top ten.  As a result, it would not be surprising to see two former U.S. Open champions Del Potro and Roddick duke it out for the ITC title.

Click here for a complete look at the draw as it appears on the ITC tournament website.

The 2011 Sony Ericsson Open kicks off on March 21 at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Miami. Today, the tournament released the acceptance list for the ATP and WTA tours. The field is stacked with past Major champions that including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova. Roddick and Clijsters will attempt to defend their titles from last year.

Here is the official tournament press release which includes the full ATP and WTA acceptance list:

GRAND SLAM PLAYER FIELD MEETS GLAM SLAM EVENT AT SONY ERICSSON OPEN
MIAMI, Fla. (www.sonyericssonopen.com) – The 2011 Sony Ericsson Open men’s and women’s player fields were announced today and the tournament will host a field worthy of a Grand Slam event with each of the top 77 ranked men’s players and 74 of the top 75 ranked women’s players in the world attending.

Once again the world’s best players including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki will come together at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park, March 21-April 3 to compete for one of the most prestigious titles in tennis.

Tickets to the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open are on sale now and can be purchased by phone (305-442-3367) or via internet at www.sonyericssonopen.com. An electrifying two weeks of tennis conclude with the women’s final on Saturday, April 2 and the men’s final on Sunday, April 3.

The qualifying rounds will be played March 21-22 and will determine 12 more slots in each singles draw, while the tournament will award five men’s wildcards and eight women’s wildcards. Women’s main draw play will begin Tuesday, March 22 with the men’s main draw starting on Wednesday, March 23.

Clijsters, the defending Sony Ericsson Open women’s champion, and Djokovic, the Sony Ericsson Open men’s champion in 2007, are coming off victories at the Australian Open and will certainly be considered two of the favorites to win in Miami this year.

But the contenders to claim the Sony Ericsson Open’s Butch Buchholz trophy in 2011 are numerous indeed.

Rafael Nadal, a two-time Sony Ericsson Open finalist, will look build upon his incredible 2010 season which saw the Spanish star claim three Grand Slam titles and reclaim the World No. 1 ranking. Roger Federer, a 16-time Grand Slam champion, will return to Miami looking to claim his third Sony Ericsson Open title and his first since 2006. Andy Murray, the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open champion, is already playing in mid-season form having reached the Australian Open final and you can’t overlook defending Sony Ericsson Open champion Andy Roddick who always seems to play his best tennis on the purple courts at Crandon Park.

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Seven days of competition have passed at the Australian Open.  While Rafael Nadal has breezed through his matches to get to the round of 16, defending champion Roger Federer had a hiccup in the second round.  As usual, there were a few unexpected departures in the first week.  Here’s a summary of what has taken place this initial week.

It’s been smooth sailing for Nadal in getting through to the round of 16.  The world number one’s excellent form will come in handy as he faces 2010 semifinalist Marin Cilic.  After two easy matches, Cilic edged out John Isner 9-7 in the fifth to earn a crack at Nadal.

After a thrilling first round five setter against Lleyton Hewitt, David Nalbandian called it quit in the second round, four games away from being handed a straight set loss.  Mikhail Youzhny also departed earlier than expected.  The tenth seed was sent packing in the third round by Milos Raonic.  The 20 year old Canadian qualifier with the humongous serve also ousted Michael Llodra, the 22nd seed in the second round.  Next up for Raonic will be David Ferrer who is a relentless competitor.  Ferrer’s experience may prove too much for the youngster.  Thus, a Ferrer-Nadal quarterfinal showdown is the likely scenario.

Without much fuss, both Robyn Soderling and Andy Murray have been taking care of business.  Soderling’s fourth round match will be against Alexandr Dolgopolov.  The Ukrainian upset 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the third round.  Following an impressive second round match versus Juan Martin Del Potro, Marcos Baghdatis was forced to retire down two sets to one with a hand injury in his third round match against Jurgen Melzer.  As such, Murray will battle Melzer for a quarterfinal berth.

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The field of competitors scheduled to appear at the 2011 Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in February has shaped up to be the strongest in the tournament’s history.

The draw is headlined by former US Open Champions Juan Martin del Potro (2009) and Andy Roddick (2003). Joining Del Potro and Roddick are past Delray Beach ITC champions Marty Fish, James Blake, Kei Nishikori, Xavier Malisse, and Ricardo Mello.

The tournament will also host a stop of the ATP Champions Tour event with John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, Todd Martin and Mark Philippoussis scheduled to play.

Here is the official press release from the tournament :

DELRAY BEACH, FL (January 20, 2011) – Former Delray Beach International Tennis Championships (ITC) champions Xavier Malisse, Kei Nishikori and Ricardo Mello, along with 2010 runnerup Ivo Karlovic and 2007/2008 runnerup James Blake have signed up to play in the ITC’s 19th annual ATP World Tour event from February 21-27 at the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center.

Also committing to the draw: 2009 world No. 12 Radek Stepanek and Janko Tipsaravic, who played a hero’s role in leading Serbia to the 2010 Davis Cup title.

The group joins a pair of US Open Champions – Andy Roddick (2003) and Juan Martin del Potro (2009) – as well as current Top 20 players Mardy Fish and John Isner – in giving the ITC arguably its best draw in history.

“We can’t wait to see how this one plays out,” said tournament director Mark Baron, who has added a 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera to the $500,000 pool of prize money.  “Our group of stars stands out,  but the depth of talent in this draw and guys who have had great results is very impressive.”

Malisse, the winningest player in ITC history, reached the Chenai final earlier this month. The 31-year-old is a three-time champion (2 singles titles, 1 doubles title) and has reached three other singles finals at the ITC.

Nishikori’s incredible run in 2008 as an 18-year-old made him Delray Beach’s youngest champion, and Mello will long be known for winning the 2004 title following one of South Florida’s four hurricanes that season.

Karlovic enjoyed an exciting run to the ITC final last year that included a tournament-record 89 aces, while Blake, with an 11-5 record in this tournament, received a wildcard to play this year.

Stepanek has played in 11 career ATP World Tour finals – winning four – and was the Delray Beach doubles champion in 2004. Tipsaravic owns an impressive record vs. Top 10 players, and his win in the decisive 5t rubber in last year’s Davis Cup semifinal propelled Croatia to the final.

The tournament’s ATP Champions Tour event, featuring John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, Todd Martinand Mark Philippoussis, will kick off the Delray Beach ITC on Friday, February 18 at the Tennis Center. Fans buying tickets on Monday and Tuesday, February 21 and 22, will see both ATP World Tour and ATP Champions matches.

Baron also announced a ‘blockbuster’ Tuesday evening session that will include Roddick’s opening match in addition to the ATP Champions Tour final. The world No. 8 is expected to be the top seed in the ITC’s ATP World Tour event.

Individual session tickets range in price from $15 for grandstand seats to $85 for box seats, while a wide variety of tournament packages are available from $200 to $490. A limited number of ON-COURT “Best Seats in the House” remain, and there are unique “Fan Experiences” also available for purchase.

Here is Delray Beach’s 2011 draw: Kevin Anderson (RSA), Igor Andreev (RUS), Benjamin Becker (GER), Julien Benneteau (FRA), Richard Berankis (LTU), James Blake (USA), Dustin Brown (GER), Brian Dabul (ARG), Juan Martin del Potro (ARG), Ivan Dodig (CRO), Mardy Fish (USA), Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS), John Isner (USA), Xavier Malisse (BEL), Adrian Mannarino (FRA), Ricardo Mello (BFA), Kei Nishikori (JPN), Bjorn Phau (GER), Michal Przysienzny (POL), Andy Roddick (USA), Rainer Schuettler (GER), Florent Serra (FRA), Radek Stepanek (CZE), Janko Tipsarevic (SRB); Balance of 32-player field will be filled by 4 qualifiers, 2 special exempts (at ATP discretion) & 1 wildcard.

Visit the Delray Beach ITC website www.YellowTennisBall.com to purchase tickets. For more information, please call 561-330-6000.