Blake, Hewitt, Nalbandian Highlight Sony Open Wildcards

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MIAMI, Fla. (www.sonyopentennis.com) – The 2013 Sony Open has announced three men’s wildcard entries featuring former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, former World No. 4 James Blake and former World No. 6 David Nalbandian.

Hewitt, Blake and Nalbandian join a competitive men’s field featuring current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist and U.S. Open champion Andy Murray and 11-time Grand Slam champ Rafael Nadal.

The women’s main draw will begin Tuesday, March 19, while the men’s main draw kicks-off on Wednesday, March 20. The men’s and women’s qualifying rounds start Monday, March 18.

Tickets to the 2013 Sony Open are on sale now and can be purchased by phone (305-442-3367) or via internet at www.sonyopentennis.com. An electrifying two weeks of tennis conclude with the women’s final on Saturday, March 30 and the men’s final on Sunday, March 31.

Blake will be making his return to South Florida in a quest to improve on his career-best quarter-final showings in 2006 and 2008. Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion, is hoping to advance to his first finals appearance at the Sony Open while David Nalbandian, a former Wimbledon runner-up is looking to return to the form that helped him win 11 career ATP singles titles.

Blake, always a fan favorite, was a wildcard entry into the 2005 U.S. Open. He gained national notoriety when he advanced to the quarter-finals where he fell to Andre Agassi in a thrilling five sets. From there, his career launched tremendously as he reached a career-high of No. 4 in the world in 2006 joining his role model Arthur Ashe as the only African-American male to crack the top-10.

Hewitt, a former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion is hoping to rejuvenate his career with a great showing at this year’s Sony Open. Nalbandian hopes to continue his promising start to the 2013 season after finishing runner-up at the Brasil Open in February.

ABOUT THE SONY OPEN: The 2013 Sony Open will be played March 18-April 31 at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Miami. The two-week combined event is owned and operated by IMG. The Sony Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a Premier Mandatory event on the WTA calendar, and features the top men's and women's tennis players in the world. In 2012 Novak Djokovic defeated Andy Murray for his third Sony Open title, while Agnieszka Radwanska knocked off Maria Sharapova to capture her first title in Miami. For ticket information, call (305) 442-3367 or visit the website at www.SonyOpenTennis.com

ABOUT SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS: Sony Mobile Communications is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation, a leading global innovator of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for both the consumer and professional markets. Through its Xperia™ smartphone portfolio, Sony Mobile Communications delivers the best of Sony technology, premium content and services, and easy connectivity to Sony’s world of networked entertainment experiences. For more information: www.sonymobile.com

ABOUT IMG: IMG Worldwide is a global sports, entertainment and media business, with nearly 3,000 employees operating in 30 countries around the globe. IMG’s areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging:  IMG College; IMG’s Joint Ventures in China, Brazil and India; IMG Media; IMG Events and Federations; IMG Fashion; IMG Models; IMG Art+Commerce; IMG Clients; IMG Academies; IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing.  More information is available at www.imgworld.com.

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