Story and photos by Liza Horan

Tennis was the centerpiece of the Sony Ericsson Open, of course, but the Key Biscayne event also delivers so much more. Here are highlights of the off-court action—with one exception.

- From the Key Biscayne dump to "the fifth Grand Slam": Tournament founder Butch Buchholz tells the back story about how the Sony Ericsson Open came to attract nearly 300,000 spectators and media from 36 countries. Click here for "Five Questions With...Butch Buchholz."

- Tennis took over Miami: Some pretty unusual things can be witnessed along the strip in South Beach—this reporter's seen someone strolling the sidewalk with a giant live snake as a choice accessory, and another person casually walking around with a machete. This year Venus Williams and Andy Murray traded volleys while standing atop two different cars stuck in traffic. Maybe it was a good luck charm for the Scot.

- Bryans go SoBe: The always affable Bob and Mike Bryan gave autographs to fans at the tournament but in addition to signing the usual items—giant tennis balls, caps, programs—they penned their names on SoBeFit. The new Miami-inspired fitness and healthy living magazine featured the brothers and chef Michelle Bernstein on the cover of the March/April issue. A four-pager on the brothers includes cool, stark and strong black and white photography and details on how they approach health, tennis and more. The magazine will be expanding nationally soon. Click here to visit SoBeFit and see a video of the Bryans'cover shoot.

- Key Biscayne offers more than tennis: That was the message of the three friendly faces at the Chamber of Commerce booth at the tournament. "We want to tell people that there's something beyond the tennis tournament. There's a village tucked between a city park and state park," said Chamber V.P. Bud Schroeder, adding that there seems to be demand for more vacation accommodations that the Silver Sands Motel and the Ritz-Carlton have to offer. (Several official tournament hotels are located in Coconut Grove, South Beach and downtown Miami.) The Sonesta hotel has been shut down as the community decides what they want (or don't want) on that property. Click here for Key Biscayne info.

- Star power is de rigeur: Miami is rife with celebs and they always hit the tournament. Spotted in the stands were Gloria Estefan, Kelly Rowland, Anna Wintour, Star Jones, Common and Dara Torres, among many others from the sports and entertainment worlds.

Okay, for the one on-court highlight...

- Frustrated Fed unleashes it, for a change: By now you've seen the replay and read the reports of how Roger Federer was down 2-0 and 30-0 when he had "a moment," as he later called the infamous smashing of his Wilson [K] Six.One Tour 90. It was one hour, 20 minutes into the match and the winner of 13 majors was frustrated.
     The crowd reaction—whistles and boo calls—was delayed, as a collective moment of shock of silence pervaded the stadium. The stadium DJ cued up "Under Pressure" by Freddie Mercury with David Bowie. The now-humanized champion, down on his luck, finished out the game, slowly walked to the sideline and took his seat. Immediately he put away the broken skeleton, lest photographers get more shots of him with his dismantled weapon than they already had.
     The amazing thing—even to him, as he later admitted—were the cheers (not jeers) that accompanied his walk to the baseline to serve at 0-3.  He finally gets on the board by breaking Novak Djokovic for 1-4, and holding for 2-4. Then the crowd, and perhaps he, started to believe again as he fired two aces to make it to 3-5. The luck didn't last.
     When Djokovic clinched the match 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, the men shook hands and Federer wandered off court. No autographs.
     "Look, it's been a tough last year or so, especially in the hardcourts," Federer said in the post-match press conference. "My game never really clicked, you know, except for the Open where I thought I played great..thank God the hardcourt season is over."
    Fans discovered that Federer is human, after all, and showed its empathy. His clay season may require more of it.
     A few minutes after match point in the press room, writer Anita Klaussen said, "It's so sad Roger lost." Next to her, Bud Collins, remarked: "Well, get used to it."

'Til next year...a parting shot driving from the Sony Ericsson Open over Key Biscayne's Rickenbacker Causeway toward the mainland.