Indian Wells may be over, but the tennis version of March Madness continues this week with the Sony Open.  There are a number of high profile competitors keen to post a deep a run in Miami.  Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are looking to continue their momentum, while Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova hope to bounce back from disappointments in the desert.  But arguably the two players who need a title run most are Miami’s defending champions, Andy Murray and Serena Williams.

It probably seems ludicrous to suggest that Serena Williams needs a noteworthy result in the bustling Florida metropolis.  She currently resides atop the rankings with more than five thousand points separating her from her nearest rivals.  But 2014 has had its share of disappointments for the American.  A combination of back trouble and some inspired play from Ana Ivanovic saw Williams exit the Australian Open in the fourth round – a round earlier than last year.  The back kept her from attempting to defend her finalist points in Doha, and Alize Cornet shockingly sent her packing in the semifinals of Dubai.  These types of losses do not eradicate the fear factor Williams possesses, but they do put a dent in it.

Repairing these minor chinks in the armor is not nearly as much of a concern for Williams, however, as defending her points from last year.  It was her title run in Miami last season that kicked her 2013 into high gear.  After her victory there, she went on to win nine of the next eleven tournaments that she entered, including Roland Garros and the US Open.  It is a tall task to replicate that feat, but a good first step towards doing just that would be securing her seventh Sony Open title.

In contrast to Williams, Andy Murray may not find himself defending the kind of results that follow a career year, but his showing this week in Miami is no less important.  In fact, it is arguably more important.  Miami, along with his Wimbledon triumph, was one of the few bright spots for the Scot last season.  It was all downhill for Murray the second half of year, which prematurely came to an end when he was forced to undergo minor back surgery.  Unfortunately for him, his lack of play at the end of last year has appeared to have hampered his efforts in 2014.

There has been no question that Murray has struggled with his form in the opening months of this season.  He has only one semifinal showing thus far, which came in Acapulco.  His results (or lack thereof) have seen his ranking slip to Number 6, and a failure to defend the majority of his championship points this week in Miami could mean a further tumble down the rankings.  Granted, the rankings are not the so-called “be-all, end-all” for the players, but a lower seeding does make it more difficult to win the most prestigious tournaments and get the ranking moving back in the right direction. 

Murray may also be feeling added pressure to perform well in Miami, because he is in danger of going into a mini-tailspin.  Just as the Sony Open was getting underway, news broke that Murray and Ivan Lendl had mutually agreed to end their partnership.  Lendl had a tremendous impact on Murray’s game and achievements, and his absence could have an impact in the short run.  Additionally, Murray has never been one to quickly rebound from disappointments, so given what all has transpired in 2014 thus far, Murray is in need of something positive quickly.

Clearly, there is a lot of pressure riding on Miami’s defending champions.  Of the two, Williams is the one most likely to take things in stride win or lose, as she has shown herself to be so resilient over the course of her career.  But do not count Murray out just yet.  He is competing in a city that is a second home to him, so he should draw confidence from the venue.  He is also too talented not to rediscover his championship form at some point.  Miami has been kind to both of these defending champions, so now is as good a time as any to get their 2014 campaigns back on track.