Saji first took the exam in January and scored 99.99 but, because he was not satisfied, he sat for the test again in April
Rafael Nadal, who secured the Indian Wells title on Sunday for his third title since his comeback from nagging knee injuries, and Swiss World No. 2 Roger Federer are absent on the men’s side, which features 45 of the world’s 50 top players. Injured World No. 10 Samantha Stosur of Australia is missing on the women’s side, having suffered a right calf injury that forced her to drop out of her quarter-final at Indian Wells.
Djokovic will try to claim his fourth Miami title while Williams attempts to take her sixth career crown at the $8.5 million tournament, which provides first-round byes to seeded players.
Novak Djokovic in action at Indian Wells. — Getty Images
Williams will play her first event since reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking in Doha, where she reached the final.
Serbian star Djokovic lost to Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in the Indian Wells semi-finals, ending his 22-match winning streak in a run that included a fourth Australian Open title, his sixth career Grand Slam crown.
“I need a few days off and I’ll move on to Miami,” said Djokovic, who could become the first player since Andre Agassi in 2003 to lift a third Miami title in a row.
Del Potro, who also ousted World No. 2 Andy Murray of Britain in the Indian Wells quarter-finals, is looking for big things at Miami as well after falling to Nadal in the Indian Wells final. “After tomorrow I will be happy for this tournament and get motivation for the future, for the next one, and be ready, waiting for another chance like I made in this tournament,” Del Potro said.
“I’m excited to play Miami. Many Argentinian fans, friends, family, come to watch me there. It’s a very good tournament. I’m so excited to be playing there. But first I need a couple of days for recovery, for rest, and I wish to do a similar tournament there.”
Djokovic won at Miami in 2007 as well as the past two years and has reached the final in four of the past six years.
He will play his opener on Friday against either Gilles Muller or Lukas Rosol and could face 30th seed Feliciano Lopez of Spain in the third round.
Reigning US Open and Olympic champion Murray, who lost to Djokovic in last year’s Miami final, will try to add to his 2009 title, which came with a victory over Djokovic.
Australian Bernard Tomic or a qualifier will await Murray in his first match.
Spanish third seed David Ferrer, in Djokovic’s half of the draw, looks to bounce back from a second-round defeat at Indian Wells. He will open against a qualifier but del Potro could be a quarter-final opponent for Ferrer.
The South American will open against either Tobias Kamke or Blaz Kavcic.
Czech fourth seed Tomas Berdych, who could meet Murray in a semi-final, will open against either Daniel Gimeno-Traver or Denis Istomin.
Saji first took the exam in January and scored 99.99 but, because he was not satisfied, he sat for the test again in April
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