Reuters/Miami


After missing last year’s Sony Open, both world number one Rafa Nadal and 17-times grand slam winner Roger Federer return to South Beach this week along with their box office punch.
There will be no shortage of tennis glitterati around Miami for the next fortnight with 19 of the top 20 men’s and women’s players in action at Crandon Park but perhaps none more welcome than Federer and Nadal as their absence last year left a hole that could not be filled.
Nadal and Federer are box office gold for any tournament  and with the Spaniard missing due to a knee injury and the Swiss maestro on an extended break last year’s attendance dropped 5.5 percent to 308,000.
“Anytime you have two stars the size of Roger and Rafa, guys who are bigger than the sport, bigger than tennis, missing it hurts,” tournament director Adam Barrett told Reuters on Monday.
“These guys are superstars, they draw crowds whether they are at the airport, a hotel or walking through a mall.
“Anywhere they go they are going to bring additional crowds both tennis and non-tennis folks.”
With a promising weather forecast and lineup that includes world number one Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, defending men’s champion Andy Murray and three-time winner Novak Djokovic the Sony Open could set record ticket sales this year.
“A lot of it has to do with how the draw unfolds,” Barrett said about a possible attendance record. “A lot of years when you set record attendance you get intriguing matches.
“Every year you wait, you let it unfold, we will be close to records every year. The only thing that really takes records out of the equation is rain.”     
n World number seven Tomas Berdych said Tuesday he would compete at the Queen’s Club tournament in June in order to give himself “the best possible chance” of winning Wimbledon a month later.
The Queen’s event, which takes place just a few miles from Wimbledon in south-west London, has long been regarded as a leading warm-up event for the last of the four major championships in tennis still to be played on grass.
Berdych, Wimbledon runner-up to Rafael Nadal in 2010 after beating both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic on his way to the final, said: “My next goal is to go one better, one higher than I did when I reached the final of Wimbledon.
“That’s my main goal for the rest of my career,” the giant 28-year-old Czech added.  
“It’s a really big step, and it’s going to take a lot of work every day to get there, but that’s what I’m going to try to do.  
“I think playing at Queen’s gives me the best possible chance. I would also love to lift that beautiful Aegon Championships trophy.”
Berdych has joined reigning Wimbledon champion Andy Murray in confirming his participation at Queen’s from June 9-15.
“I have to say that I have never played on a better grass court than at the Aegon Championships, and The Queen’s Club itself is just beautiful,” said Berdych, a semi-finalist at this year’s Australian Open before winning an ATP tour event in Rotterdam.
New tournament director Ross Hutchins welcomed the involvement of Berdych, a quarter-finalist at last year’s Queen’s event, by saying: “Tomas is one of the most exciting players in the game and it’s great news he has pledged to return to the Aegon Championships.  
“His raw power and booming game style are a sight to behold and I know the crowds at The Queen’s Club will enjoy watching him play.”

Rafa Nadal: box office draw