Well, not rumors like I wrote earlier, now it's official, Maria Sharapova withdraws from Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. Here is what Matt Cronin over at TennisReporters.net said:

FROM THE BNP PARIBAS OPEN IN INDIAN WELLS, MARCH 17 - Former No. 1 Maria Sharapova pulled out of next week’s Sony Ericsson Open in Miami on Wednesday and is targeting a return on clay at Rome at the beginning of May, Tennisreporters.net has learned. After going to Miami on Tuesday do sponsor visits, media and attend the player party, Sharapova will head to Phoenix, where she spent part of fall recovering from shoulder surgery, to continue her training.

While Sharapova competed at doubles at Indian Wells where she and Elena Vesnina lost a first round match, she finds that getting practice court time at Miami is more difficult and fells that she’d be better off continuing her rehab and training in Phoenix, which is why she chose not to play doubles in Florida. Her shoulder is said to be progressing nicely and she was pleased that at Indian Wells, she was able to hit fairly high service speeds.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova, who has said that she won’t be comfortable returning in singles until she can contest two of three set matches for a minimum of seven days in a row, is also planning on competing at the new tournament in Madrid the week after Rome, and at Roland Garros.

It's official, Sharapova is out of Miami!