2018 Media Guide 2018 US Clay Storylines Standing Tall Young No More For the third time in five years, John Isner is the tournament’s Ryan Harrison will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his first No. 1 seed. The 6-foot-10 American is one of five players to be career ATP match win, which came as a 15-year-old at River the top seed at this event three times or more in the Open Era. Oaks in 2008. After qualifying, he defeated Pablo Cuevas in the 6 Jimmy Connors 1973, ‘74, ‘76, ‘77, ‘78, ‘79 first round. He remains the youngest player to win an ATP-level 4 Andy Roddick 2004, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07 match since 15-year-old Rafael Nadal did so in Mallorca in 2002. 3 John Isner 2014, ‘16, ‘18 3 Michael Chang 1991, ‘97, ‘98 Home Cooking 3 Cliff Richey 1969, ‘70, ‘71 Fifteen Americans are in the US Clay field this year, which is an ATP World Tour record for a 28-player draw. It also ties the Serving Aces Houston-era (since 2001) tournament record, which previously John Isner is taking aim at a career milestone this week as he had been reached in 2003 when it was a 32-player field. Six of heads to River Oaks with 9,968 career aces. Isner holds the US those Americans are seeded players, the most at this event Clay record for most aces in a single match (35 vs Ernesto Es- since 2003. cobedo in the 2017 quarterfinal) and most aces in one tourna- ment (64 during his 2013 title run). In his 10 appearances at International Attraction River Oaks, Isner has fired a total of 351 aces. He is bidding to There are players representing a total of 18 countries playing at the be the fourth player to reach the 10,000 ace milestone, join- River Oaks this year, including players representing 10 different ing 2007 US Clay champion Ivo Karlovic (12,583), Roger Federer countries in the singles field. Since US Clay came to River Oaks (10,463) and Goran Ivanisevic (10,131). in 2008, players from 53 different nations have participated in the tournament. 500-Win Club Another milestone within reach this week at River Oaks is the About the Tournament 500-win club for 2014 champion Fernando Verdasco. The Span- The Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship is ish lefthander enters the tournament with a career record of an ATP World Tour 250 event. It is the only ATP event played on 498-369. He would be the eighth active player to have reached clay in North America. that milestone. This year is the 108th edition of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Cham- pionship, which started in 1910. The tournament has been held Past Champs in 21 different U.S. cities, and has called Houston home since There are five former US Clay winners: defending champion moving to Westside Tennis Club in 2001. Steve Johnson, Jack Sock (2015), Fernando Verdasco (2014), This year marks the 11th time River Oaks Country Club has John Isner (2013) and Ivo Karlovic (2007). hosted the tournament. River Oaks first hosted tournament tennis in 1931, including an event on the World Championship Nice to Meet You Tennis circuit from 1970 into the mid-1980s. A prestigous prize Nine players are making their US Clay debut: Taro Daniel, Tay- money tournament in the ensuing years, River Oaks became lor Fritz, Miomir Kecmanovic, Stefan Kozlov, Nick Kyrgios, home to this ATP event in 2008. This will be the 84th tourna- Henri Laaksonen, Mackenzie McDonald, Yoshihito Nishioka ment contested at River Oaks. and Jordan Thompson. Giving Back Winners Circle The tournament has named the National Junior Tennis & Learn- Three players in the US Clay field have already won titles in ing programs of the Houston Tennis Association as the tourna- 2018: Nick Krygios won in Brisbane, Frances Tiafoe in Delray ment beneficiary. Proceeds from the event will be directed to Beach and John Isner in Miami. the programs that serve more than 6,000 kids at 44 different Houston facilities. Youth Movement The tournament will continue to also benefit Pediatric Trauma Eight players in the field are 22-years-old or younger, with Ser- at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital through the Ticket bian qualifier Miomir Kecmanovic being the youngest at just Turnback Program. The tournament operates a secondary ticket 18. Other youngesters include Taylor Fritz (20), Stefan Kozlov market for the event, with the entire resale price donated to the (20), Frances Tiafoe (20), Ernesto Escobedo (21), Nick Kyrgios hospital. The program has raised nearly $200,000 since 2009. (22), Mackenzie McDonald (22) and Yoshihito Nishioka (22). 2018 US Clay Field Facts & Figures Past Singles Champions Most 2018 Match Wins Past Doubles Champions Steve Johnson 2017 Fernando Verdasco 11-8 Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan Jack Sock 2015 Nick Kyrgios 10-3 2016, 2014, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007 Fernando Verdasco 2014 Frances Tiafoe 10-5 Daniel Nestor 2005, 2003 John Isner 2013 Ryan Harrison 10-7 Julio Peralta 2017 Ivo Karlovic 2007 Sam Querrey 10-7 Sam Querrey 2012 Horacio Zeballos 2017 Most US Clay Appearances (incl 2018) Most Career Match Wins John Isner 11 Fernando Verdasco 498-369 Most Career Doubles Titles Sam Querrey 10 John Isner 368-226 Mike Bryan 117 Donald Young 8 Ivo Karlovic 351-313 Bob Bryan 115 Ivo Karlovic 7 Sam Querrey 331-264 Daniel Nestor 91 Ryan Harrison 6 Jack Sock 156-109 Max Mirnyi 51 Most US Clay Wins Fewest Career Match Wins Most Career Doubles Match Wins Sam Querrey 14-8 Miomir Kecmanovic 0-1 Mike Bryan 1,073-341 John Isner 14-9 MacKenzie McDonald 1-7 Bob Bryan 1,059-338 Jack Sock 13-4 Stefan Kozlov 5-15 Daniel Nestor 1,059-477 Fernando Verdasco 11-4 Tennys Sandgren 8-13 Max Mirnyi 761-427 Ivo Karlovic 7-5 Ernesto Escobedo 14-24 Bjorn Fratangelo 14-24 Most 2018 Match Wins Oldest Players Bob Bryan 17-5 Ivo Karlovic 39 Most Career Clay Court Wins Mike Bryan 17-5 Fernado Verdasco 34 Fernado Verdasco 213-128 Horacio Zeballos 14-4 Dustin Brown 33 John Isner 62-53 Ben McLachlan 12-9 John Isner 32 Horacio Zeballos 55-66 Jack Sock 11-3 Horacio Zeballos 32 Ivo Karlovic 50-69 Sam Querrey 46-57 2018 Title Winners - Teams Youngest Players Bryan & Bryan Miami Miomir Kecmanovic 18 2018 Title Winners Mirnyi & Oswald New York Taylor Fritz 20 John Isner Miami Skupski & Skupski Montpellier Stefan Kozlov 20 Nick Kyrgios Brisbane Sock & Withrow Delray Beach Frances Tiafoe 20 Frances Tiafoe Delray Beach Ernesto Escobedo 21 2018 Title Winners - Individuals Nick Kyrgios 22 Most Career Titles John Isner Indian Wells MacKenzie McDonald 22 John Isner 13 Andres Molteni Buenos Aires Yoshihito Nishioka 22 Sam Querrey 10 Jack Sock Indian Wells Ivo Karlovic 8 Fernado Verdasco Rio de Janeiro Country Breakdown - Singles Fernando Verdasco 7 Horacio Zeballos Buenos Aires USA 15 Nick Krygios 4 Argentina 3 Jack Sock 4 Country Breakdown - Doubles Australia 2 USA 10 Japan 2 Most Career Clay Court Titles Argentina, Australia, Japan 3 Croatia 1 Fernando Verdasco 5 Croatia, Germany, Great Britain 2 Germany 1 6 Players 1 Austria, Belarus, Canada, Chile, France, Serbia 1 India, Mexico 1 Slovenia 1 Spain 1 Switzerland 1 2018 Main Draw Singles Player Profiles OVERALL CLAY PLAYER AGE RANK 2018 CAREER TITLES 2018 CAREER TITLES USMCC Dustin Brown (GER) 33 152 0-2 60-95 0 0-0 21-29 0 3-2 Taro Daniel (JPN) 25 111 2-6 20-45 0 0-0 11-20 0 0-0 Ernesto Escobedo (USA) 21 120 3-5 14-24 0 0-1 3-5 0 3-1 Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) 24 108 0-2 14-24 0 0-0 3-5 0 0-1 Taylor Fritz (USA) 20 72 5-3 34-39 0 0-0 1-2 0 0-0 (7) Ryan Harrison (USA) 25 54 10-7 103-136 1 0-0 10-21 0 3-5 (1) John Isner (USA) 32 9 9-6 368-226 13 1-0 62-53 1 14-9 (6) Steve Johnson (USA) 28 51 6-8 128-124 2 0-1 16-20 1 6-4 Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 39 88 5-6 351-313 8 1-1 50-69 1 7-5 Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 31 128 1-6 56-86 0 0-0 25-33 0 1-1 [Q] Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 18 187 0-1 0-1 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 Nicolas Kicker (ARG) 25 87 6-8 17-23 0 2-4 13-14 0 1-2 [Q] Stefan Kozlov (USA) 20 184 0-0 5-15 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 [Q] Denis Kudla (USA) 25 122 1-1 31-61 0 0-0 2-7 0 1-2 (4) (WC) Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 22 24 10-3 116-65 4 0-0 23-18 0 0-0 Henri Laaksonen (SUI) 26 143 0-1 22-31 0 0-0 9-13 0 0-0 (WC) MacKenzie McDonald (USA) 22 142 1-3 1-7 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 [Q] Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 22 380 2-4 24-31 0 0-0 0-1 0 0-0 Guido Pella (ARG) 27 63 7-7 50-70 0 4-3 26-29 0 0-1 (2) Sam Querrey (USA) 30 14 10-7 331-264 10 1-0 46-57 1 14-8 (8) Tennys Sandgren (USA) 26 56 6-7 8-13 0 1-2 1-5 0 0-1 Tim Smyczek (USA) 30 124 2-3 38-73 0 0-0 3-7 0 3-4 (3) Jack Sock (USA) 25 16 3-6 156-109 4 0-0 30-18 1 13-4 Jordon Thompson (AUS) 23 99 0-3 16-32 0 0-0 3-5 0 0-0 Frances Tiafoe (USA) 20 58 10-5 19-34 1 0-0 0-5 0 0-2 (5) Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 34 36 11-8 498-369 7 5-2 213-128 5 11-4 Donald Young (USA) 28 130 1-7 122-182 0 0-0 7-25 0 4-7 Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 32 66 6-8 86-127 1 4-4 55-66 1 6-4 NOTE: Rankings as of April 9 and records as of April 8.