Garin, Isner advance at U.S. Clay Court Championships

Photo by Darla Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2022
All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 8, 2022) Friday action at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship saw four quarterfinal singles and two semifinal doubles matches at Houston's River Oaks Country Club.

Kicking off the day was the first doubles match, on Court 3, found Serbians Ivan Sabanov and Matej Sabanov facing Americans William Blumberg and Max Schnur. After a very intense, which propelled the winners to the final on Saturday evening, the duo from Serbia were victorious by the score of 6-3, 7-5.

In singles action, American and No. 3 seed Reilly Opeika needed only 78 minutes to down Gijs Brouwer (Netherlands) by the score of 6-3, 7-5. Next up was a scheduled match between Michael Mmoh (USA) and Nick Kyrgios (Australia). Kyrgios advanced to semi-final, where he will face Opeika, as a result of a walkover, when Mmoh withdrew from the tournament due to an injury. Saturday's semifinal will be the first for Opeika at River Oaks.

In the third match of the day, which lasted two hours, 43 minutes, Chile's Cristian Garin needed three sets to dispatch American Taylor Fitz by the score of 6-2, 6(5)-7, 6-3 to advance to the semifinals, Garin will take on John Isner (USA, shown above), who needed three sets to advance to the semifinals, in defeating  fellow American Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

In the final match of the evening, Australians Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell  defeated Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) and Hunter Reese (USA) 6-4, 6-3.

Christin Garin upsets No. 2 seed at U.S. Men's Clay Court Champs

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 10, 2019) In a match that lasted a bit over three hours, Christian Garin (right)  defeated the number two seeded Jeremy Chardy 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(7) in second round play of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. The 22-year-old Chilean saved five match points to upset the number two seeded Chardy. The match was was the fourth longest in U.S. Clay Court history. Garin is 5-0 in deciding sets this year and is headed into the quarterfinal to face Henri Laaksonen (Switzerland), who downed American Ryan Harrison 6-4, 7-5.

Steve Johnson begins quest for third straight U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship title

Story and Photo Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 8, 2019) It is an occurrence that has not occurred since 1938. In that year, Seabiscuit beat War Admiral, the New York Giants beat the Green Bay Packers 23-17 for the NFL title, and the New York Yankees swept the Chicago Cubs in four straight games to claim the World Series. In addition, Bobby Riggs won his third consecutive U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship title. At River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Steve Johnson, who was the champion in 2017 and 2018, will attempt to the match Riggs’ success in winning the 2019 title.

Play at River Oaks kicks off on Monday, with Johnson slated to begin take to the court on Thursday, as the number one seed. He will face the winner of the Daniel Elahi Galan (Columbia) versus Paolo Lorenzi (Italy). The Galan-Lorenzi match will be on court three on Tuesday, April 9 with a 12 noon CDT start.

This is the second ATP Tour tournament at which Johnson has held the number one seed. His other top seeding was at Newport in 2016. He is 11-4 lifetime at River Oaks, winning his last nine matches. The 29-year-old Johnson, who is ranked No. 39 in the world, is coming off Round of 64 loss to Joao Sousa at the ATP Masters 1000 Miami. In the same tournament, Johnson teamed with Marcel Granollers; losing in the doubles bracket to Nikola Mektic and Dominic Thiem. In the 2017 Clay Court Championship, Johnson downed Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7-5) for his first title, following up with a 7-6(7-2), 2-6, 6-4 win over Tennys Sandgren in 2018.

Bill Tilden won six consecutive clay court championships from 1922 to 1927, in addition to the title in 1918. Since the championship has been held in Houston, Andy Roddick has won three titles (2001, 2002, 2005) and Juan Monaco has two (2012, 2016).

Weather postpones qualifying at U.S. Clay Court Championship; play resumes on Monday

Action from the 2017 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2019, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 7, 2019) Due to severe and hazardous weather passing through the Houston area on Sunday, April 7, 

the final qualifying matches for the 2019 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club were suspended and postponed.


Play will resume on Monday, April 8 with the matches suspended on Sunday, with play beginning at 12 noon CDT. First round matches scheduled for Monday will kick off at the regular posted time of 3 p.m. 

Two former U.S. Clay champions headline the first night session at River Oaks Country Club. Ivo Karlovic, who won the 2007 title in the event's last year at Westside Tennis Club, opens play at 3 p.m. against Ryan Harrison. Marcel Granollers, who won the following year when the tournament moved to River Oaks, will play 2018 semifinalist Taylor Fritz at 6 p.m. 

One other former U.S. Clay winner is in action Monday, with 2009 singles champion Lleyton Hewitt playing doubles with fellow Australian Jordan Thompson against the second seeded team of Austin Krajicek and Artem Sitak.

Two-time Clay Court Finalist Sam Querrey kicks off 2019 Australian Open

By Kristine Kelly
Copyright 2019 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 14, 2019) Two-time U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships finalist Sam Querrey kicks off the 2019 Australian Open today against Pierre-Hugues Herbert on Court 20 in the Round of 128. The American is currently ranked No. 48 in the world in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).  Querrey will return to the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, where he has reached the final twice; in 2015, losing to Jack Sock, and 2010, falling to Juan Ignacio Chela. 

The Southern California native, who will be making his tenth tournament appearance in Houston, owns 14 career match wins at River Oaks, the second most among active players. Querrey has 10 ATP singles titles to his name, and has reached at least one final in each of the past four seasons.

The Australian Open continues through Janaury 27.

American Steve Johnson wins 2017 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship

Steve Johnson kisses the trophy after winning
the 2017 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship.
Photo by Richard Fletcher, Bigshot Snapshots
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 16, 2017) It took No. 4 Steve Johnson (USA) two hours, 24 minutes to down No. 8 Thomaz Bellucci (Brazil) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5) in Sunday's Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship singles final at River Oaks Country Club in Houston. The tournament, which ended on Sunday, April 16, 2017 saw Johnson win his second career title He is now 2-0 versus Bellucci, having won their previous meeting in straight sets in the second round of the 2016 Australian Open. 

Both Bellucci and Johnson arrived late into Houston following Davis Cup ties last weekend. Bellucci was 2-0 in singles as Brazil won 5-0 at Ecuador. Johnson was part of the winning US doubles team in a 3-2 World Group quarterfinal defeat at Australia in Brisbane. For the ninth time in the 10 years since the tournament moved to River Oaks, an American was competing the final, with an American won the title four times since the tournament came to River Oaks. The three previous American wins include Ryan Sweeting in 2011, John Isner in 2013 and Jack Sock in 2015.

Johnson had never reached the semifinals at an ATP clay court event before this week. His lone title came on grass in Nottingham in last summer. Bellucci is the first player to make the final in his Houston debut since Nicolas Almagro in 2013 and was the first Brazilian in the U.S. Clay final since Fernando Meligeni won the 1996 title. 

No. 2 John Isner falls to Ernesto Escobedo at Clay Court Champs

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (July 14, 2017) In a match that lasted just over three hours, wild card entry Ernesto Escobedo upset No. 2 seed John Isner 7-6 (6), 6-7 (6), 7-5 (5) in the quarterfinal round of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay  Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club in Houston on Friday, April 14, 2017. The 20-year-old from West Covina, California trailed Isner in most statistical categories; except the final score. It was the first time the two right-handers had faced each other and the win was a major accomplishment for the Escobedo who turned pro three years ago. He is only one of seven Top 100 ranked players in the world under 21 years of age, and four of those are playing at River Oaks.

Isner , who last won the tournament in 2013, may have been feeling the effects of his professional tennis travels. With Davis Cup matches preceding the Clay Court Championships in Houston this year, 11 players travelled from various locations around the world to be in Houston. Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey, Jack Sock and Isner all travelled from Brisbane, Australia to compete in Houston.

Next up for Escobedo will be a semifinal match against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, who dispatched American Sam Querry in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) on Friday.    

Jack Sock downs Tommy Haas in second round action in Houston

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 13, 2017) In the headline match at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’sClay Court Championship on Thursday, April 13, 2017, it took No. 1 seed Jack Sock three sets to down 2004 champion Tommy Haas 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. The match, which was held on center court, saw Sock, who is ranked number 15 in the world, take the first set 6-4 before dropping the second set to the German 6-3. In the third set, Sock took a 4-1 lead with Haas moving the score to 5-3 before the 2015 champion closed the books on the match with a 6-3 score. The match lasted in one hour, 55 minutes.

The stats were fairly equal, with both players serving five aces. Sock shot a bit better on first service, 65% to 62% and on second service won, 58% to 55%. Haas had the edge on first service won 76% to 74%. Sock is now 12-3 in matches at River Oaks, in his fifth appearance on the Houston clay. In 2013, he was eliminated in the second round, while in 2014, he advanced to the quarter finals. His championship title came in 2015 and dropped the final match in 2016 to Juan Monaco 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

In previous head-to-head competition, Haas downed Sock 7-6(3), 6-2, 7-5 in the Round of 64 at in 2013 on clay at Roland Garros (France). In 2014, Sock won the matchup on hard court, in the Round of 16 at Auckland, New Zealand, in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. At 24-years-old, Sock is the youngest No. 1 seed in the tournament since 23-year-old Andy Roddick was number one in 2006. Haas, at 39-years-old, is the oldest US Clay singles participant since 43-year-old Ken Rosewall in 1978. Haas, who announced this will be his final season downed 19-year-old 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-3 in the first round. Next up for Sock will be the winner of the Feliciano Lopez (Spain) vs. Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) match.

A slideshow from the match, by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography can be wiewed by clicking here.

Four Americans advance on first day of qualifying in U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 8, 2017) First day of qualifying is complete at the U.S. Clay Court Championships with four Americans advancing to Sunday’s final day of qualifying. The tournament, which is being held at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston and began on Saturday, April 8, 2017.

American Bradley Klahn downed Renzo Olivo (Argentina) 4-6, 7-5, 4-0 (retired due to illness) with countryman Noah Rubin defeating Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo (Spain) 7-6 (3), 7-5. Denis Kudla advanced over fellow American Brian Baker, who withdrew with knee problem. The final American advancer was Tennys Sandgream, who eliminated Steven Diez (Canada) 6-3, 6-3.

In other action, Benjamin Becker (Germany) outsted Guido Andreozzi (Argentina) 6-0, 7-5 while Teymuraz Gabashvili (Russia) beath Peter Polansky (Canada) 6-2, 7-6 (5). In the final two matches of the day, Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) downed Tim Smyczek (USA) 3-6, 6-4,  7-6 (3) and Maximo Gonzalez (Argentina) defeated Dennis Novikov (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (13).

Photo by Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

The 15-13 tie-break won by Gonzalez was longer than any main draw tie-break played in tournament history. The main draw tournament record is 14-12, won by Horacio De La Pena over Claudio Messadri in the 1993 semifinals. At least one and as many as three Americans may advance into the main draw through qualifying. Already, 10 Americans are in the field, marking the fourth time in five year's a double-digit number of U.S. players are participating at River Oaks. Regardless of how many Americans win Sunday, this year's field will have the most Americans participating since 13 played in 2007.

Main draw play will begin on Monday, and is expected to include the start of Juan Monaco's title defense. The two-time champion is slated to play Dustin Brown on opening night. Other matchups due to take court during Monday's "Super Session," which begins at 3 p.m., include 2014 champion Fernando Verdasco taking on Kevin Anderson and 39-year-old Tommy Haas facing 19-year-old Reilly Opelka. 

Lopez, Hewitt, and Bryan Brothers advance at US Men's Clay Court Championship

Photo by JB Fletcher-Big Shot Snapshots

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2014 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 8, 2014) Tuesday, April 8, 2014 action at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship saw the No. 5 and No. 7 single players and the top ranked doubles team advance at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas.

The number five seed, Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, defeated American Robby Ginepri in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2.

Lleyton Hewitt, who came into River Oaks as the number seven seed, took three sets to dispatch Canadian Peter Polansky 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

In unseeded action, Donald Young (USA) easily downed fellow American Ryan Harrison 6-0, 6-1, while Michael Russell (USA) used straight sets to down Spain’s Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-3, 7-6 (2).

Germany’s Benjamin Becker, who played his college tennis for the Baylor Bears, needed three sets to down Ruben Ramirez-Hildago 6-1, 1-6. 6-3.

American Steve Johnson rounded out the singles action by beating Denis Kudla (USA) 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Photo by JB Fletcher-Big Shot Snapshots

In doubles action, the USA brothers duo of Bob and Mike Bryan quickly defeated Nicholas Monroe and Donald Young 6-3, 6-4.

In other doubles match saw Australians Matt Ebden and Sam Groth beating Ken and Neal Skupski and 6-4, 7-6 (2).

Action continues on Wednesday with five singles and six doubles matches.

The headline matches of the evening include number one seed John Isner (USA) facing Dustin Brown (Germany) while the Bryan brothers will play the Australian pair of Matthew Ebden and Samuel Groth.

Querrey downs Bogomalov in first day action at U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship

By Robert H Kelly

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography

 

Copyright 2014 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (April 7, 2014) Monday, April 7, 2014 action in the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship at Houston’s River Oaks Country Club saw four wild card entries decided and four regular tournament matches contested.

The four wild card matches, which were postponed from Sunday, April 6 due to rain, were made up beginning at 12 noon.

Winning their wild card matches and advancing to the regular tournament were Robby Ginepri (USA), Peter Polansky (Canada), Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain), and Ruben Bemelmans (Belgium).

Ginepri dispatched Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-5, 7-6 (6) while Polansky took down Thiemo De Bakker (The Netherlands) in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.

Hidalgo needed three sets to top Zimbabwe’s Takanyi Garanganga 6-1, 5-7, 6-3.

Bemelmans also needed three sets to advance into the regular tournament, downing Ryan Harrison (USA) 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (3).

In first round action, Germany’s Dustin Brown took just 49 minutes to down Rhyne Williams (USA) 6-1, 6-2.

Brown dominated with five aces and won 83% of his first serves (20-of-24) along with 50% (13-of-26) of first return points.

Jack Sock (USA) took a bit longer to send his opponent packing with a 6-1, 6-4, 55 minute win over Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic.

Karlovic was the number eight seed and the first seeded player to be eliminated in Houston.

In the 6 p.m. center court match, Sam Querrey (USA) survived a tough fought match against Alex Bogomalov, Jr., downing the 30-year old Russian 6-4, 7-6 (6).

In the post-match press conference, the 26-year-old from San Francisco, California was quoted.

“Right now, I’ll pretty much take a win however I can get it. The first time I kind of grinded trough a tough win like that all year. It feels really good and hopefully that can just lead to more wins and better play.”

Querrey evened his match history with Bogomalov to 2-2, having beaten him previously on grass in the first round of the 2012 Campbell’s Hall of Fame tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island by the score of 7-5, 7-6 (7).

Tuesday, April 8, 2014 matches will see No. 5 Feliciano Lopez of Spain facing Robby Ginepri (USA) and the No. 1 seeded doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan (USA) playing Nicholas Monroe (USA) and Donald Young (USA

The doubles match will begin on center count at 6 p.m. followed by the Lopez-Ginepri match.