Or maybe 2002, '03 or '04? Or how about '07, '08 or '13?
Those last six years are the ones in which Serena won each of her record six titles at the event. So far in 2014, though, Williams hasn't quite been the be all to end all that she was for most of the last two seasons. But, seriously, how can a case be made to go against her here? Two-time champ Vika Azarenka is out with her foot injury, Maria Sharapova is a five-time runner-up (including each of the last three years) who has never won the big title in Miami, AO titlist Li Na battled herself in California as much as she did any of her opponents, and '12 champ Aga Radwanska was taken down by a lingering knee injury this weekend in Indian Wells. While the Rads celebrated Aga's birthday and nice final run last week, what are chances that A-Rad will be the belle of the Miami ball, as well?
Could we be looking at another big event that is subjected to a series of upsets, but ultimately has a heartwarming conclusion that pretty much everyone can get behind, ala Flavia Pennetta's just-completed career-best result in the desert?
Hmm, that would seem unlikely. But who knows? As Li said last week, welcome to the crazy women's tennis tour.
**RECENT MIAMI SINGLES FINALS**
2005 Kim Clijsters d. Maria Sharapova
2006 Svetlana Kuznetsova d. Maria Sharapova
2007 Serena Williams d. Justine Henin
2008 Serena Williams d. Jelena Jankovic
2009 Victoria Azarenka d. Serena Williams
2010 Kim Clijsters d. Venus Williams
2011 Victoria Azarenka d. Maria Sharapova
2012 Agnieszka Radwanska d. Maria Sharapova
2013 Serena Williams d. Maria Sharapova
**REACHED BACK-TO-BACK IW/MIAMI FINALS**
1991 Monia Seles (L-W)
1994 Steffi Graf (W-W)
1996 Steffi Graf (W-W)
1999 Serena Williams (W-L)
2000 Lindsay Davenport (W-L)
2000 Martina Hingis (L-W)
2005 Kim Clijsters (W-W)
2006 Maria Sharapova (W-L)
2012 Maria Sharapova (L-L)
2013 Maria Sharapova (W-L)
**MOST MIAMI SINGLES TITLES**
6...Serena Williams (2002-04, 07-08, 13)
5...Steffi Graf (1987-88, 1994-96)
3...Venus Williams (1998-99, 01)
2...Victoria Azarenka (2009, 11)
2...Kim Clijsters (2005, 10)
2...Martina Hingis (1997, 2000)
2...Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (1992-93)
2...Monica Seles (1990-91)
**RECENT MIAMI DOUBLES CHAMPIONS**
2004 Nadia Petrova & Meghann Shaughnessy
2005 Svetlana Kuznetsova & Alicia Molik
2006 Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur
2007 Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur
2008 Katarina Srebotnik & Ai Sugiyama
2009 Svetlana Kuznetsova & Amelie Mauresmo
2010 Gisela Dulko & Flavia Pennetta
2011 Daniela Hantuchova & Agnieszka Radwanska
2012 Maria Kirilenko & Nadia Petrova
2013 Nadia Petrova & Katarina Srebotnik
**PLAYERS WHO HAVE BOTH IW/MIA SINGLES**
Victoria Azarenka
Kim Clijsters
Steffi Graf
Martina Hingis
Martina Navratilova
Monica Seles
Serena Williams
[active, won IW but not Miami]
Daniela Hantuchova
Ana Ivanovic
Jelena Jankovic
Flavia Pennetta
Maria Sharapova
Caroline Wozniacki
Vera Zvonareva
**WON IW/MIA IN SAME YEAR**
1994 - Steffi Graf
1996 - Steffi Graf
2005 - Kim Clijsters
MIAMI, FLORIDA USA (Premier $5.427m/hard outdoor)
13 Final: S.Williams d. Sharapova
13 Doubles Final: Petrova/Srebotnik d. Raymond/Robson (Petrova 2012-13 champion)
14 Top Seeds: S.Williams/Li
=============================
=4th Round=
#1 S.Williams d. #18 Stosur
#6 Kerber d. #23 Makarova
#4 Sharapova d. #18 Flipkens
#20 Pennetta d. #28 Kuznetsova
#28 V.Williams d. #10 Cibulkova
#3 A.Radwanska d. #18 Bouchard
#7 Jankovic d. #17 Stephens
#2 Li d. #16 Suarez-Navarro
...is Venus still in Dubai form? If so, the "#28" next to her name might not mean much. I'll roll the dice and have her moving out of Halep's section, though surely the Romanian is still the favorite to do so at the moment. Kuznetsova gets revenge on Kvitova in the 3rd Round? I'll go with it. If Aga isn't capable, Miami could be Bouchard's first post-AO breakout result. Stickin' with JJ, too.
=QF=
#1 S.Williams d. #6 Kerber
#4 Sharapova d. #20 Pennetta
#28 V.Williams d. #3 A.Radwanska
#7 Jankovic d. #2 Li
...Flavia couldn't put together another run, could she? Well, at least Maria won't have to face Serena in the final again. Still sticking with Venus. And JJ, too.
=SF=
#1 S.Williams d. #4 Sharapova
#28 V.Williams d. #7 Jankovic
...if Serena lost and avoided a final with Venus, would the conspiracy theories go into overdrive again? We didn't get that Williams/Williams final a few weeks ago, so I'll take a deep breath and go for it here.
=FINAL=
#1 S.Williams d. #28 V.Williams
...they've played each other in Miami four times, but in only one final. It was 1999, and it was the very first time that the Sisters faced off for a tour title. Could this be the last time they do it? Hmmm... maybe.
All for now.
