With the future of the ATP/WTA Miami Open in doubt, Novak Djokovic voiced his support of the event staying put, saying people "enjoy being in Key Biscayne," according to Linda Robertson of the MIAMI HERALD. He added, "It’s an island ... a little bit windy for tennis, but we still do our best. I’ve heard there were talks about moving to other cities in Florida, somewhere around the United States, but it’s still going to stay here.” Robertson noted Orlando "has been a site of speculation." The USTA is "building a major facility there," but the players "don’t want to go to Disney World." They want to "eat at Miami’s restaurants and see" the city's vistas. The Latin American players "appreciate Miami’s proximity and demonstrative, bilingual fans." Tournament Dir Adam Barrett "fears the Miami Open will be gone within seven years if he cannot invest in improvements that would make it more competitive with other elite events" such as the BNP Paribas Open. Players also "wouldn’t mind more practice courts, a permanent grandstand court and spiffier locker rooms" (MIAMIHERALD.com, 4/3). In Ft. Lauderdale, Harvey Fialkov notes Barrett and tournament owner IMG "have been frustrated with their attempts to upgrade the facilities to keep up with Indian Wells." Barrett said that other cities such as Orlando, Dubai and Rio "have shown an interest" in hosting the 32-year-old event. Barrett has "turned down several interview requests after the tournament started." For the seventh consecutive year the tournament "drew more than 300,000 fans" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 4/4).
