Monaco, Russell to square off in Houston semifinal
April 13, 2012
US MEN’S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIP—Houston, U.S.A.
Quarterfinal results:
Michael Russell defeats R Harrison 6-1, 5-7, 6-3; (4) Juan Monaco defeats (5) Kevin Anderson 7-6(4), 7-5.
Top seed Fish ousted in Houston; Monaco, Sweeting prevail
April 12, 2012
US MEN’S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIP—Houston, U.S.A.
Second-round results:
Michael Russell defeats (1) Mardy Fish 6-3, 6-1; (4) Juan Monaco defeats Tatuma Ito 6-3, 6-3; (5) Kevin Anderson defeats Sam Querrey 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(2) ; Ryan Sweeting defeats Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 6-2.
Odesnik, Malisse lose in Houston
April 10, 2012
US MEN’S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIP—Houston, U.S.A.
First-round results:
Horacio Zeballos defeats Adrian Ungur 6-3, 6-3; Igor Kunitsyn defeats Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-2; Paolo Lorenzi defeats Wayne Odesnik 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3; Tso Ito defeats Go Soeda 6-4, 7-5.
Feliciano Lopez and Juan Monaco awarded Houston wild cards
March 22, 2012
The first wild cards for the 2012 US Men’s Clay Court Championship have been awarded to Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, the 15th ranked player on the ATP World Tour, and Argentina’s Juan Monaco, who is No. 21.
Lopez and Monaco join a pair of Top 10 Americans, Mardy Fish and John Isner, in committing to the event that will be held April 9-15 at River Oaks Country Club.
Lopez, who has been ranked in the Top 50 in eight of the past nine seasons, will be making his tournament debut in Houston. He has been a mainstay of Spain’s Davis Cup success in recent years, playing in 20 ties and playing a role on four championship teams. The three-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist owns two ATP World Tour titles in seven career finals.
Monaco ranks ninth among active players for career clay court wins with a 157-91 record on the surface. He has claimed four titles in 11 finals on clay, including earlier this year in Vina del Mar. In 2011, he helped Argentina to the Davis Cup final against Spain. Monaco was the 2006 runner-up of the River Oaks International, and went 2-2 at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship at Westside, reaching the quarterfinals in 2007.
“We’re thrilled to have the chance to grant Feliciano and Juan wild cards,” tournament director Van Barry said. “To have these Top 25 international stars join our field that’s anchored by a couple of Top 10 Americans with Mardy and John is a very exciting way to gear up for the tournament which begins in less than three weeks.”
Fish, the 2006 US Men’s Clay Court Champion, is ranked No. 8, while Isner has reached a career high No. 10 on Monday after reaching the final this past week at Indian Wells by beating No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
Fish is one of four former champions in the field, including Ryan Sweeting (2011), Marcel Granollers (2008) and Ivo Karlovic (2007). Three former finalists are also in the field, and they are all Americans: Sam Querrey (2010), Wayne Odesnik (2009) and James Blake (2008).
The addition of Lopez and Monaco brings the tournament field to 23 players thus far. One more wild card will be awarded and four other players will join the field through the qualifying tournament that begins April 7.
The doubles field will be announced just before the tournament, but four-time winners of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship Bob and Mike Bryan have committed to return and defend their title once again.
ONLY LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN for the 2012 US Men’s Clay Court Championship. The popular Champs Pass that includes all sessions from Friday-Sunday has sold out, and only standing room only tickets remain for Saturday’s singles semifinals and doubles final. Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com or by calling 713-874-629.
Once again, the US Men’s Clay Court Championship will provide the Texas Children’s Ticket Turnback program. Any fans holding tickets for a session that they cannot use are invited to return those tickets to the box office where they will be sold for face value and the entire resale price will be donated to Texas Children’s Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Institute.
Isner Joins Strong American Field In Houston
January 12, 2012
Two-time US Men’s Clay Court Championship quarterfinalist John Isner is the third American singles player to commit to the 2012 event April 9-15 at River Oaks Country Club.
Isner joins his countrymen Mardy Fish, the No. 8 player in the world and 2006 champion, and Sam Querrey, the 2010 finalist, in the singles field, while the four-time champion Bryan Brothers have committed to defend their doubles title.
“John is a fan favorite here at River Oaks, so we’re very excited that he is coming back for the 2012 tournament,” said tournament director Van Barry. “We’re very lucky that this popular group of American players has embraced the tournament, and their commitment assures us we will have another high quality field.”
This will be the fifth appearance for Isner at River Oaks. The former Georgia Bulldog has had doubles success at River Oaks in addition to his two singles quarterfinals. In 2011, Isner and Querrey teamed up to reach the doubles final against the Bryans.
In his career, Isner has won three career singles titles and reached five other finals. This week he is a career-high No. 17 on the ATP World Tour and enters next week’s Australian Open seeded a personal-best in a Grand Slam No. 16.
Fish joins Isner among the seeds at the Australian Open, as he will be No. 8 when the tournament begins on Monday. Querrey will also be in the field for the year’s first Grand Slam while twins Bob & Mike Bryan will be looking to win a sixth title overall in Australian and their fourth in a row.
On Thursday, 1 December individual session tickets and the very popular “Champ Pass” for the 2012 US Men’s Clay Court Championship will go on sale. The Champ Pass includes a ticket to the Friday, Saturday and Sunday sessions, which are usually sold out before the tournament begins. A limited number of season ticket packages for the 2012 event are still remaining. Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com or by calling 713-874-6294
Starace to Face Andujar for Casablanca title; Nishikori and Sweeting Reach Houston Final
April 9, 2011
Grand Prix Hassan II—Casablanca, Morocco
Semifinal Results:
No. 5 seed Potito Starace defeats No. 8 seed Victor Hanescu 6-1, 6-7(3); Pablo Andujar defeats No. 1 seed Albert Montanes 6-4, 6-4.
US Men’s Clay Court Championship—Houston, U.S.A.
Semifinal Results:
No. 6 seed Kei Nishikori defeats No. 7 seed Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 7-5; Ryan Sweeting defeats Ivo Karlovic 7-6(3), 6-3.
Fish Reaches Quarters in Houston; Blake Ousted
April 7, 2011
US Men’s Clay Court Championship—Houston, U.S.A.
Second-Round Results:
No. 3 seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez defeats Somdev Devvarman 6-4, 6-1; No. 7 seed Pablo Cuevas defeats James Blake 7-5, 6-1; No. 6 seed Kei Nishikori defeats Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-3; No. 1 seed Mardy Fish defeats Albert Ramos 6-3, 6-4.
Starace and Fognini Prevail in Morocco; Sweeting Wins in Houston
April 5, 2011
Grand Prix Hassan II—Casablanca, Morocco
First-Round Results:
Filippo Volandri defeats Julien Benneteau 7-5, 6-3; Fredrico Gil defeats Simone Bolelli 6-3, 6-1; Blaz Kavcic defeats Reda El Amrani 3-4 ret.; No 7 seed Fabio Fognini defeats Gerard Granollers-Pujol 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; No. 5 seed Potito Starace defeats Daniel Brands 7-5, 6-2; Michael Berrer defeats Nicolas Devilder 6-3, 6-3; Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo defeats Rui Machado 7-5, 6-1; Andrey Kuznetsov defeats Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol 6-1, 7-6(5).
US Men’s Clay Court Championship—Houston, U.S.A.
First-Round Results:
Ryan Sweeting defeats Tim Smyczek 6-2, 6-2; Somdev Devvarman defeats Robert Kendrick 6-2, 6-1; Albert Ramos defeats Brian Dabul 6-4 7-5.
Harrison Returning To Houston; Hewitt Forced Out After Surgery
March 23, 2011
Press Release
American teenager Ryan Harrison has accepted a wild card for next month’s US Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club. His entry brings the number of Americans in the field to seven for the 28-player event that will be held April 4-10.
This will be Harrison’s first main draw appearance in Houston since he made history in 2008 when he qualified into the main draw and defeated Pablo Cuevas, becoming the 11th player in the Open Era to win an ATP World Tour match before turning 16 and the first since Rafael Nadal in 2002. The now 18-year-old Harrison, a native of Shreveport, La., reached the fourth round last week in Indian Wells, which propelled him up 22 ranking spots to a career high No. 130.
Harrison has accepted a wild card after Lleyton Hewitt was forced return his and withdraw from the tournament following foot surgery on Saturday.
“No doubt we’re disappointed that Lleyton, one of our former champions, cannot compete this year and we wish him the very best for a speedy recovery,” said Tournament Director Van Barry. “We’re thrilled to have Ryan returning to River Oaks. His win as a 15-year-old was a great moment during the 2008 event. Ryan’s clearly a star among this newest generation of American players, and we look forward to him returning to Houston.”
Former champions Mardy Fish (2006) and Juan Ignacio Chela (2010) are projected to be two of the top seeds for the 2011 event. Joining Fish and Harrison will be their American counterparts James Blake, Robert Kendrick, John Isner, Sam Querrey and Michael Russell.
Three-time doubles champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, who claimed their 10th career major title by winning the Australian Open earlier this year, will headline the doubles field for the US Men’s Clay Court Championship. Among the other doubles teams in the field is the red hot American duo of Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram, who have won two titles and reached one other final already in 2011.
The doubles field also includes four other teams with one member who owns a Grand Slam doubles title: Jonathan Erlich (playing with Rainer Schuettler in Houston) won the 2008 Australian Open, Pablo Cuevas (playing with Guillermo Garcia-Lopez) won the 2008 Roland Garros, Stephen Huss (playing with Ashley Fisher) won the 2005 Wimbledon title, and Jamie Murray (playing with Mischa Zverev) won the 2007 Wimbledon mixed doubles title.
Hewitt Joins 2011 Houston Field
March 3, 2011
Press Release
Former World No. 1 and winner of two Grand Slam tournament titles Lleyton Hewitt has accepted a wild card for the 2011 US Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club April 4-10.
Hewitt, the 2009 Houston champion, joins former champions Mardy Fish (2006) and Juan Ignacio Chela (2010) in the singles field.
“We are thrilled Lleyton has accepted the wild card offer and is returning to Houston,” said Tournament Director Van Barry. “We have a very strong field this year, and adding a former champion who is also a Grand Slam champion and a former World No. 1 certainly makes this year’s tournament even better.”
The US Open champion in 2001 and Wimbledon champion in 2002, Hewitt has also twice been runner-up at a major (US Open in 2004 and Australian Open in 2005). The Australian is third among active players for weeks ranked No. 1 with 80, behind Roger Federer’s 285 and current No. 1 Rafael Nadal’s 85 weeks (through Monday, Feb. 28). His 28 career titles is fourth among active players behind Federer (67), Nadal (43) and Andy Roddick (30).
Hewitt has accepted the second of the tournament’s three wild cards. American James Blake will also enter the tournament with a wild card. The third recipient will be announced in the coming weeks.
Other notable entrants among the first 21 of the 28-player field to be announced include Houston resident Michael Russell, Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey, and former Baylor star Benjamin Becker.
Three-time doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan, who claimed their 10th career major title by winning the Australian Open earlier this year, will headline the doubles field for the US Men’s Clay Court Championship. The full field for that event will be announced closer to the tournament.
Individual and “Champ Pass” tickets for the 2011 US Men’s Clay Court Championship are on sale now. The popular Champ Pass includes a ticket to the Friday, Saturday and Sunday sessions, which are usually sold out before the tournament begins. A limited number of season ticket packages for the 2011 event are still remaining. Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com or by calling 713-874-6294.
Recent Comments