By Justin Ross
Venus Williams (USA)
World Rank: 12
Tournament Seed: No. 11
2017 Highlights: Finals at Australian Open (lost to Serena Williams)
Road to Semis: Wins over Beatriz Haddad Maia, Patricia Maria Tig, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Angelique Kerber
Indian Wells Finish: Quarters loss to Elena Vesnina
Best Miami Finish: Three Miami Open titles (1998, 1999, 2001)
Fun Fact: Williams is the only remaining competitor to win the Miami Open
Head-To-Head w/ Semifinals Opponent: 1-2 (vs. Konta)
Johanna Konta (Great Britain)
World Rank: No. 11
Tournament Seed: No. 10
2017 Highlights: A finals win in Sydney over Agnieszka Radwanska
Road to Semis: Wins over Aliaksandra Sasnovich, Pauline Parmentier, Lara Aruuabarrena, and Simona Halep.
Indian Wells Finish: Round of 32 loss to Caroline Garcia
Best Miami Finish: Semis in 2017
Fun Fact: Konta and Pliskova are the only semifinalists to win a WTA Tour title in 2017.
Head-To-Head w/ Semifinals Opponent: 2-1 (vs. Williams)
Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic)
World Rank: No. 3
Tournament Seed: No. 2
2017 Highlights: Two tournament wins in Brisbane (beat Alize Cornet) and Doha (beat Wozniacki).
Road to Semis: Wins over Madison Brengle, Yulia Putintseva, Barbora Strycova, and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni
Indian Wells Finish: Semis loss to Svetlana Kuznetsova
Best Miami Finish: Semis in 2017
Fun Fact: Only remaining tournament player with a tour-level title
Head-To-Head w/ Semifinals Opponent: 1-3 (vs. Wozniacki)
Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark)
World Rank: No. 14
Tournament Seed: No. 12
2017 Highlights: Runner-up in Doha (lost to Pliskova) and Dubai (lost to Elina Svitolina)
Road to Semis: Wins over Varvara Lepchenko, Sorana Cirstea, Garbine Muguruza, and Lucie Safarova
Indian Wells Finish: Quarters loss to Kristina Mladenovic
Best Miami Finish: Semis in 2012 and 2017
Fun Fact: She’s reached the quarters eight times in her past nine tournaments.
Head-To-Head w/ Semifinals Opponent: 3-1 (vs. Pliskova)
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.
