Former Tennis Player James Blake Hired As New Miami Open Tournament Dir

Former tennis player JAMES BLAKE on Thursday was hired as ATP/WTA Miami Open Tournament Dir, where he will be "in charge of player relations, media, broadcast and tournament improvements and innovations," according to Michelle Kaufman of the MIAMI HERALD. Longtime Tournament Dir ADAM BARRETT "remains" as Exec Dir. The Miami Open will be "played on Key Biscayne for the last time" March 19-April 1 before moving to Hard Rock Stadium in '19 (MIAMI HERALD, 1/12). The Miami Open is owned and operated by IMG, which also represents Blake (THE DAILY). In Ft. Lauderdale, Craig Davis writes tennis player TOMMY HAAS has "excelled in a similar role" to the one created for Blake for the ATP/WTA BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. Blake will have a "busy March, doing commentary for Tennis Channel during the BNP Paribas tournament before taking on his new duties in Miami" (South Florida SUN SENTINEL, 1/12).