Site Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne Stadium Capacity: 13,800 Grandstand Capacity: 5,700 Tournament Dates Main Draw: Wednesday March 25th ­ Sunday April 5th, 2009 Qualifying rounds: Monday & Tuesday, March 23rd ­ 24th, 2009 Tournament Executives Tournament Owner ­ IMG Tournament Chairman ­ Earl "Butch" Buchholz Tournament Director ­ Adam Barrett Format A 96 draw for men's and women's singles. A 32 draw for men's and women's doubles. Session Start Times Gates Open: 9:30 a.m. March 23-28; 10 a.m. March 29-April 5 March 23-24 (Qualifying): 10 a.m. March 25-27: Day session: 10 a.m., Night session: 7 p.m. March 28: Day session: 10 a.m., Night session: 8 p.m. March 29-April 2: Day session: 11 a.m., Night session: 7 p.m. April 3: Day session: Noon, Night session: 7 p.m. April 4: Finals Festivities begin at 11:30 a.m. April 5: Finals Festivities begin at 12:30 p.m. Quick Facts History On August 29, 2006, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications announced the signing of a four year contract to become the title sponsor of the Sony Ericsson Open. With $7.54 million in prize money the Sony Ericsson Open is currently the largest tournament in the world with Title Sponsorship. When Butch Buchholz established the event in 1985, it marked the first time in 56 years that a new two-week tournament featuring men and women was launched. Located in Delray Beach (Laver's International Tennis Center) in 1985 and Boca Raton (Boca West) in 1986, the tournament found a permanent home in 1987 on Miami's Key Biscayne. In 1994, MiamiDade County christened the Tennis Center at Crandon Park, a 30acre expanse that is transformed each year from a public tennis facility into a full-fledged festival for the Sony Ericsson Open. The Sony Ericsson Open, considered one of the most prestigious titles in professional tennis, has been awarded "Tournament of the Year" by the ATP for five consecutive years and in eight of the last nine years overall. In 2004 the event was also named "Tournament of the Year" by the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. In 1999, the tournament was purchased by IMG. Tennis Balls Penn Tickets Call 305.442.3367 or visit www.SonyEricssonOpen.com Guest Services Lost? Need information? Need to purchase tickets for future sessions to the Sony Ericsson Open? Or just need to purchase Andalucía Collectors Club daily passes? The Guest Services Center is located next to the draw board in front of Gate C. Multi-lingual personnel are available to answer questions, make recommendation or listen to suggestions. Wachovia ATM A full-service ATM, furnished by Wachovia, is available adjacent to the Guest Services Center. Television The Sony Ericsson Open was covered by over 750 credentialed media from 36 countries. Television coverage was beamed to over 153 million viewers around the world with 2,461 hours of television coverage broadcast in 2008. In the United States, the men's and women's finals are broadcast live on CBS while Fox Sports Network will broadcast 30 hours of early round coverage. Will Call The Will Call Center is located next to the main entrance to the Tennis Center by the fountain. Only the person whose name is on the order may pick up reserved tickets. A photo I.D. and signature is required to pick up your tickets. Parking General admission ticket holders may park on Virginia Key (one mile west of the Tennis Center), with free shuttle bus service to the parking area at Crandon Park. Directional signs will lead you to Virginia Key once across Rickenbacker Causeway. Miami-Dade County will provide Virginia Key parking for $10 per vehicle. 74 KEY BISCAYNE MAGAZINE Attendance 297,011 over 22 sessions/12 days in 2008 (a new tournament record) Tickets (305) 442-3367 or www.SonyEricssonOpen.com