Sony Ericsson Open 2012 Results: Highlights, Updates and Review

Outside of the four Grand Slam events, the Sony Ericsson Open is one of the most important tournaments on the tennis schedule. The biggest stars on both the men's and women's sides will battle for a Masters 1000 title in Miami.

Many of the players are fresh off the BNP Paribas Open, where Roger Federer and Victoria Azarenka claimed the respective championships. It's not often the sport's top-ranked players play consecutive tournaments together, so fans should enjoy the strong fields while they last.

Let's take a look at everything you need for know for the marquee tournament. Keep checking back over the next two weeks for the latest highlights, updates and everything else you need to know about the Sony Ericsson Open.

Update: Saturday March 31, at 8:15 p.m. ET

Agnieszka Radwanska is the Sony Ericsson Open 2012 women's champion. She beat Maria Sharapova in straight sets (7-5, 6-4).

UPDATE: Results (Full results available at sonyericssonopen.com).

Friday, March 30

Men's Semifinals

Winner	Loser	Score
Andy Murray	Rafael Nadal	Withdraw

Rafael Nadal withdraws due to knee injury. 

Men's Semifinals

Winner	Loser	Score
Novak Djokovic	Juan Monaco	6-0, 7-6(5)

Thursday, March 29

Women Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Maria Sharapova	Caroline Wozniacki	4-6, 6-2, 6-4

Men Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Juan Monaco	Mardy Fish	6-1, 6-3
Novak Djokovic	David Ferrer	6-2, 7-6 (7-1)

Tuesday, March 27

Women Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Maria Sharapova	Li Na	6-3, 6-0
Caroline Wozniacki	Serena Williams	6-4, 6-4

Men Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Novak Djokovic	Richard Gasquet	7-5, 6-3
Rafael Nadal	Kei Nishikori	6-4, 6-4
Andy Murray	Gilles Simon	6-3, 6-4
David Ferrer	Juan Martin del Potro	6-3, 6-3
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	Florian Mayer	6-3, 6-2

Monday, March 26

Women Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Victoria Azarenka	Dominika Cibulkova	1-6, 7-6, 7-5
Caroline Wozniacki	Yanina Wickmayer	7-6(6), 7-0
Venus Williams	Ana Ivanovic	6-7(4), 6-2, 6-2
Maria Sharapova	Ekaterina Makarova	6-4, 7-6(3)
Serena Williams	Samantha Stosur	7-5, 6-3

Men Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Novak Djokovic	Viktor Troicki	6-3, 6-4
Andy Roddick	Roger Federer	7-6(4), 1-6, 6-4
David Ferrer	Julien Benneteau	7-6 (5), 6-4
Juan Monaco	Gael Monfils	4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Juan Martin del Potro	Marin Cilic	6-3, 7-6(3)

Sunday, March 25

Women Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Dominika Cibulkova	Jie Zheng	6-2.6-0
Maria Kirilenko	Ksenia Pervak	6-2, 6-1
Marion Bartoli	Simona Halep	6-4,7-6 (6)
Venus Williams	Aleksandra Wozniak	4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5)
Garbine Muguruza Blanco	Flavia Pennetta	6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (6)

Men Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Grigor Dimitrov	Tomas Berdych	6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Janko Tipsarevic	Alexandr Dolgopolov	6-5, 5-7, 6-2
Gilles Simon	Jurgen Melzer	7-6 (5), 6-4
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	Philipp Kohlschreiber	6-4, 7-6 (2)
Kei Nishikori	Lukas Rosol	6-4. 6-2

Saturday, March 24

Women Notables 

Winner	Loser	Score
Serena Williams	Roberta Vinci	6-2, 6-1
Sabine Lisicki	Shuai Peng	6-4, 7-5
Yanina Wickmayer	Kim Clijsters	6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
Maria Sharapova	Sloane Stevens	6-4, 6-2
Na Li	Iveta Benesova	7-5, 6-2

Men Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Richard Gasque	Cedrik-Marcel Stebe	6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2
Andy Roddick	Gilles Muller	6-3, 6-2
Juan Monaco	Yen Hsun-Lu	5-0 (Retired)
Gael Monfils	Sergei Bubka	6-4, 6-4
Roger Federer	Ryan Harrison	6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
David Ferrer	Bernard Tomic	6-4, 6-4
Juan Martin Del Potro	Ivo Karlovic	7-5, 6-4

Friday, March 23

Women Notables 

Winner	Loser	Score
Victoria Azarenka	Michaella Krajicek	6-3, 7-5
Angieszka Radwansks	Madison Keys	6-1, 6-1
Garbine Muguruza Blanco	Vera Zvonareva	6-4, 6-3

Men Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Andy Murray	Alejandro Falla	6-2, 6-3
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	Xavier Malisse	7-5, 7-5

Thursday, March 22

Women Notables 

Winner	Loser	Score
Serena Williams	Shuai Zhang	6-2, 6-3
Maria Sharapova	Shahar Peer	4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Caroline Wozniacki	Barbora Zahlavova Strycova	6-4, 6-0
Samantha Stosur	Valeria Savinykh	6-4, 6-0
Na Li	Melinda Czink	7-5, 6-2
Kim Clijsters	Julia Goerges	6-2, 7-5
Sabine Lisicki	Sofia Arvidsson	6-3, 6-2
Mona Barthel	Jelena Jankovic	6-0, 6-3
Chanelle Scheepers	Anabel Medina Garrigues	1-6, 6-4, 6-0

Men Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Bernard Tomic	Sergiy Stakhovsky	7-6 (7-4), 6-3
David Goffin	Donald Young	7-5, 6-4
Ivo Karlovic	Lukasz Kubot	6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-2)

Wednesday, March 21

Women Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Venus Williams	Kamiko Date-Krumm	6-0, 6-3

Men Notables

Winner	Loser	Score
Nikolay Davydenko	James Blake	4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Nicolas Mahut	Fernando Gonzalez	7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3)

Where: Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Miami, Fla.

When: Tuesday, March 20 to Sunday, April 1

Watch: Complete Tournament TV Schedule (via official site)

Defending Champions: Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka

Men's Predicted Winner: Novak Djokovic

Last year's champion has a terrific shot to defend his crown. Djokovic was knocked out of Indian Wells by a red-hot John Isner, but over the past couple years, the Serbian sensation has seemed to play his best after getting knocked off. Losses seem to give him even more motivation.

When he is playing his best, no player in the world can beat him. His wide variety of shots and terrific defense makes him frustrating to play, and frustration often leads to unforced errors. There are few things he can't do on a tennis court, and that's why he's No. 1.

Other Players to Watch

Roger Federer: His win at Indian Wells proved anybody writing him off will do so at their own peril. He still has plenty of gas left in the tank and is one of the most talented players on tour. His victories don't come quite as easy as they used to, but it's impossible to count him out.

Andy Murray: The Scottish star has been stuck at No. 4 for awhile, but he finally appears ready to get over that hump. He's been working with coach Ivan Lendl to become more aggressive, which should pay dividends in the long run. It will be interesting to see how much progress he's made.

Women's Predicted Winner: Serena Williams

Williams has been enjoying some time off, but the American is still the favorite whenever she's in the field. Her raw power can't be matched by anybody else on the women's tour, which gives her an advantage in every match. If she loses, it's usually because of her own errors.

With an important summer on the horizon, featuring three Grand Slam events and the Olympics, it's crucial that Williams gets as many matches in as possible. Getting her first Sony Ericsson Open trophy since 2008 would be the perfect start.

Other Players to Watch

Victoria Azarenka: Last year's winner of this event is coming off a win at Indian Wells, and her season record sits at 23-0. Her run of dominance is reminiscence of Djokovic's start in 2011. There are only two or three players capable of the extraordinary effort needed to beat her right now.

Petra Kvitova: One of the sport's rising stars, Kvitova has been slowed by injuries and illness this season, but she appears fit to compete in Miami. If she's back to full strength, an appearance in the semifinals is all but guaranteed. The surface matches her game perfectly.