Tennis Panorama News

Before hitting the tennis courts at the Sony Ericsson Open, American Ryan Harrison, along with 10 other ATP and WTA players took in a swim with the dolphins at the Miami Seaquarium’s Dolphin Harbor.

“It was a really special experience for me to be able to swim with the dolphins and it’s something I’ll always remember,” said Harrison, the 19-year-old who cracked the Top 100 last July.

Harrison was joined by fellow ATP players Bernard Tomic, Gilles Simon, Robert Lindstedt and Leonardo Mayer and WTA players Michaella Krajicek, Elena Vesnina, Flavia Pennetta, Gisela Dulko, Paola Suarez and Sabine Lisicki. Four of the attraction’s dolphins were on hand to play with the players.

Harrison admitted that he was anxious as he waited for his turn to ride across the pool. “I was really nervous,” he said. “I was last to go on the ride and everyone else did it right. I wanted to end on a good note.”

Tomic, the top Australian who is ranked No. 36 in the world, enjoyed his first dolphin interaction. “Giving the kiss was a bit nerve wracking,” joked the 19-year-old. “But (swimming with the dolphins) was fun. It’s something I haven’t done before.”

More than 1,400 children converged at the Sony Ericsson Open for Lindt Kids’ Day. Doubles’ teams Aisam Quereshi & Jean-Julien Rojer; and Anna-Lena Groenefeld & Galina Voskoboeva, joined the kids on court and offered tennis instruction. The children hailed from Miami-Dade, Broward and Lee counties. A host of donors contributed to the event including: Build A Bear Workshop, The Conrad, Chuck E. Cheese, Dave and Busters, Hyatt Regency Miami, Jungle Island, the Miami Dolphins, The Marlins, Miami Zoo, Miami Seaquarium and TennisKidsZone.com.

WTA ALL-ACCESS HOUR: The top eight seeds; Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, Samantha Stosur, Agnieszka Radwanska, Marion Bartoli, and Li Na held a one hour interview with the media.