In 2005, Sony Ericsson made a splashy $88 million entrance into tennis, sponsoring the Women’s Tennis Association Tour for six years.

So, in August, when the global mobile phone maker announced a four-year, $20 million deal to title sponsor the tennis tournament at Crandon Park Tennis Center on Key Biscayne, the company began a new chapter in tennis.

“When I came here two years ago, I saw this had amazing potential,” Sony Ericsson’s Global Head of Marketing Dee Dutta said of the Key Biscayne tournament. “My aim is to make this one of the world’s greatest sporting events.”

Sony Ericsson has vowed to elevate the tennis and the spectacle of the tournament, often considered the fifth grand slam. The tennis courts were painted purple to make for a more vibrant picture on television. The company’s logo and rich color scheme that includes fuschia and green dot the tennis center and strike a different feel from the more staid blue of previous title sponsor Nasdaq.

The tournament's five fashion shows wrap up Friday night, and other activities have included cooking demonstrations, wine pairing, and Night Tennis, a tennis meets the nightclub scene complete with players in glow in the dark uniforms, and fluorescent tennis balls. Brazilian dancers are expected on center court for the Carnival-themed Finals this weekend.

Dutta wants the event to be something of a test lab for new ideas and spreading the message of tennis.

“The challenge I set to the tournament directors around the world was ‘Remember those ideas you wanted to try, but maybe you weren’t brave enough or something? Come and talk to me, because if it works in Miami, I want Miami to be the center of innovation of tennis',” Dutta said.

Already crowds are breaking records with overall attendance up 6 percent from last year. The Men's Finals match has sold out. With the CA Championship at Doral Golf Resort & Spa last week, pro golfers, including Tiger Woods, stopped by. Other famous spectators have included Sex & the City's Kristin Davis, model Naomi Campbell, rapper Ludacris, racecar driver Christian Fittipaldi, the Heat’s Dwyane Wade, the Dolphins’ Chris Chambers and Jason Allen, and the Panthers’ Olli Jokinen.

The company also wants to showcase its brand across the world. It invited 700 to 800 guests and encouraged journalists from China, Brazil, India and Russia to make the trip – including picking up some travel expenses – to cover not just tennis, but also lifestyle stories about Night Tennis and the Miami area.

“Ultimately our three aims are to improve the player experience, improve the fan experience, and improve the viewer experience,” Dutta said.