Miami - Andy Murray said Thursday that his health and fitness are fast-improving after last month's virus scare as the Scot fourth seed prepares for his start at the Miami Masters.

For once, Murray is sleeping in his own bed in the pulsing South Florida metropolis, staying in the flat he bought last year.

"I've spent a lot of time here in the last year and a half or so, obviously training, and taken a couple of holidays here as well," said Murray, who devoted his December to fitness work in the area.

Miami - Roger Federer says that his commitment for Swiss Davis Cup play certainly doesn't turn on a huge payday.

The number 2 is happy to play for relative pocket change - as long as the event does not conflict with his fitness or career goals.

"Honestly I never heard of money being the issue here, why players are not playing," he said of the lack of big names who consistently compete in the worldwide team event.

"Sometimes I walk away with 5,000 or 10,000 dollars.

Miami - Roger Federer re-emphasized his future commitment to tennis on Wednesday as he prepared for a start at the Miami Masters, saying the pending summer birth of his first child would not change his fervor for the game.

"I'm very excited, you know, so is (longtime girlfriend) Mirka. We're looking forward to see how it's going to impact our lives," said the Swiss second seed, who will open after a bye against US player Kevin Kim at the weekend.

Miami  - Departing WTA boss Larry Scott admitted on Wednesday that his failure to be chosen last year for the top ATP job may have indirectly contributed to his leaving the women's game to move into domestic university sports administration.

The men's position was handed to attorney Adam Helfant, a lawyer now trying to find his depth in the sport after almost three months on the job.

"There is some connection in the sense that the major accomplishments of women's tennis, I think, have put the women's tour in very good shape," Scott said.

Miami  - WTA boss Larry Scott dropped a bombshell into women's tennis on the eve of one of the biggest events on the calendar Tuesday, announcing that he will step down to move to a university athletics job in the United States.

The resignation announcement prior to the Miami Masters came less than three months after ATP boss Etienne de Villiers was forced out and replaced with a lawyer, Adam Helfant, with little experience in the sport.

Miami  - Russians Maria Sharapova and Nikolay Davydenko both withdrew on Friday from next week's Miami Masters with injuries as the American hard court season moves to its second major event of the month.

Sharapova, who underwent shoulder surgery last October, tried and failed to test her shoulder with doubles last week at Indian Wells, California, losing in the first round with partner Elena Vesnina.

Her return to the WTA now looks to be put back to Rome on clay in May.