Tennis aces all seek improvement in Miami

Miami: Top seed Roger Federer and fourth seed Rafael Nadal will be working to polish their games as the world`s top two aim to make amends on court at the Miami WTA and ATP Masters starting on Tuesday.

Also keen for some change in fortune after disappointing results at the just-concluded Indian Wells Masters will be holder Andy Murray and losing 2009 finalist Novak Djokovic, both of whom joined their rivals in early California exits last week. British third seed Murray will need a quick improvement after a disappointing desert trip as he lost in straight sets to powerful Swede Robin Soderling. Serbian second seed Djokovic was victim of the eventual champion Ivan Ljubicic in the fourth round. World number one Federer was ambushed in the desert as he went down to Marcos Baghdatis in the third round after beating the Cypriot in their six previous matches. As usual, the Swiss refused to push panic buttons, instead relying on old-fashioned practise sessions to put him right. "I need to play matches," Federer said."I hope to get more in Miami. I`ll definitely play a lot of practice sets until then." Nadal suffered an equally disheartening reversal of fortune at the semi-final stage in the Californian desert, losing in a three-set comeback to Croatian Ljubicic, who is breathing new life into his game at the age of 31 after beating Andy Roddick to take the Indian Wells title. "That`s tennis. I played bad," Nadal said. "I`m going to try to win in Miami." As at Indian Wells, leading seeds all benefit from first-round byes as lesser lights go into action at Crandon Park on the island of Key Biscayne at the joint ATP-WTA tournament. Both Switzerland`s Federer and Spanish rival Nadal will be competing in only their second event since the Australian Open, where Federer beat Murray for the title and Nadal quit in the quarter-finals - against Murray - due to a knee problem. The Miami tournament. which is marked by its unique Latin flavor, will mark a change for Nadal, who slipped to fourth in the rankings from third after failing to defend his Indian Wells title. A rash of injury pullouts has affected the men`s and women`s draws, with the WTA draw now missing both Serena Williams out with her continuing knee injury and number three Dinara Safina, dealing with a long-term back problem. Two-time losing finalist Maria Sharapova was forced into a late withdrawal after a scan showed bone bruising in her elbow. The absentee list leaves Svetlana Kuznetsova as the top seed, with the 2006 champion eager to make amends for her opening-match Indian Wells embarrassment against Spain`s Carla Suarez Navarro. Venus Williams is healthy and representing the family at what is considered a hometown event for the Florida sister act. Dane Caroline Wozniacki will be playing as second in the world displacing Safina in he rankings as a result of her Indian Wells final. Out of the men`s field will be number five Juan Martin Del Potro, still suffering with a wrist injury, and Russian Nikolay Davydenko, the 2008 champion absent as a broken wrist heals. Bureau Report