Thinking of attending an ATP tennis tournament? TennisGrandstand begins a new series that reviews pro tournaments from a fan’s perspective.
All tournaments are bound to be a great experience. After all, fans lucky enough to attend a professional tennis event are watching the world’s best tennis players compete in one of sports greatest games! So it’s the intangible that determine whether a tournament is either a “great” or merely a “good” event.
In reviewing a tournament, we take into consideration the general atmosphere of the tournament, the ease of getting into courts, the ability to watch practice sessions, food, prices, hotels and transportation, and entertainment outside the tournament grounds.
Our first destination is also known as tennis’ fifth Grand Slam: the ATP’s Masters Series event in Miami.
General Atmosphere:
The tournament is played in Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida, just south of Miami. The grounds of Crandon Park provide one of the most striking event backdrops in North America, offering an excellent compliment to the exciting tennis fans witness on court.
The Hispanic fans from the Miami area and the South Americans who fly in for the tournament give the Sony Ericsson Open a decidedly latino flair. That influence transfers over to the players. Although Miami is a hardcourt event, the clay court players from South America and Spain have a large, vocal following and are often scheduled on some of the best courts for both play and practice.
Courts:
Unlike the enormous Arthur Ashe stadium at the US Open, fans can still see the ball even when perched high on top of the main stadium in Crandon Park. But the Grandstand is the best place to view action. The second largest court on the tournament grounds is easy to get in and out of, and there isn’t a bad seat in the house.
The same can’t be said of the other main courts. Courts 1 and 2 are far too small for such a large tournament. Fans must often wait in long lines that stretch out from the court entrances. Once a fan is finally able to get a seta, they can’t chance leaving for even a brief restroom break because the long process of getting into the court will begin again.
Practice Sessions:
Watching your favorites practice is rarely a problem in Miami. With only one exception, fans can sit or stand court side on all the practice courts at the event, offering a great opportunity to take pictures and video.
If you are determined to see a particular player, we recommend wearing sneakers. The practice sessions times are not posted and the grounds are large, so you may have to take numerous turn around Crandon Park to find the players you are looking for.
Food:
The Sony Ericsson Open offers fans a variety of culinary treats to choose from, ranging from pasta and seafood to pizza and ice cream. Especially delightful is the strawberries with Nutella and whipped crème wrapped in French crepes.
Prices:
Overall the ticket prices into the event are average for a tennis tournament. And in comparison to the US Open, it’s downright inexpensive.
Remember that once you get a ticket with an assigned seat for the stadium, you can sit anywhere in the Grandstand or outer courts.
Food prices in the grounds are also average for a tournament. For the amount and quality of the food, the prices are reasonable for a professional sports event in the United States.
Hotel:
If you are coming from outside the Miami area, the tournament offers a number of hotel packages with a good choice of price ranges.
Many fans who come from other parts of the world take advantage of the hotel shuttle service due to the heavy traffic in Miami. If letting someone else deal with the driving appeals to you, make sure that the hotel you choose offers shuttle service.
Check the Sony Ericsson Open official web site for more information on hotels and shuttle service. http://www.sonyericssonopen.com/
Entertainment Outside The Grounds:
It’s Miami: sun, beaches, a large variety of terrific restaurants, and South Beach nightlife. Does anything more need to be said?
Helpful Hints:
Helpful Hint # 1 – The Masters Series tournament is a combined men’s and women’s event. That’s good news for some, bad news for other fans. We leave that up to you to decide.
Helpful Hint # 2 – March in sunny Florida is hot so make sure to pack your sunscreen. (There are some exceptions: a couple of years ago in Miami, there was very cool temperatures two nights during the tournament. Fans had to pull out their sweatshirts and jackets, and line up at the on-site Starbucks for hot coffee.) The Miami area can also experience heavy rain during the day so it’s a good idea to bring along an umbrella or rain cape as well.
(This column has been published before by Lynn Mennillo)
