Johnson Continues Winning Ways In Houston

Written by: Staff on 9th April 2014

Johnson Continues Winning Ways In Houston

epa03615735 Steve Johnson of the US hits a return against Pablo Andujar of Spain during the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 08 March 2013. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

By Ricky Dimon

Denis Kudla did not take the college route, so he missed out on what surely would been a handful of matches against former University of Southern California star Steve Johnson. Kudla, though, has endured all too many such matches at the professional level.

Johnson improved to 5-0 lifetime–and 2-0 in the last five days–against his fellow American with a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory in the first round of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship on Tuesday. They had just faced each other in the Le Gosier Challenger quarterfinals, with Johnson dominating that encounter 6-4, 6-0.

Of course, Kudla should not feel alone. More than a few others have felt the wrath of Johnson’s huge serve and forehand in 2014.

The sudden surge actually began in December of 2013 at the USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoffs in Atlanta. Johnson had endured a dismal post-U.S. Open swing on the Challenger circuit and was “pretty close to not playing” in Atlanta due to a leg injury. However, he showed up and won three matches–including a five-setter over Tennys Sangren in the final–to win the eight-man tournament and earn a spot in the main draw of the Australian Open.

“I try to forget about after the (U.S.) Open,” Johnson said in Atlanta. “It was a tough couple-month stretch for me. I didn’t win too many matches. But that’s life. I don’t think I handled the end of the year very well, especially being my first year on tour. I kind of let the little things get to me; that’s what led to the bad stretch up north in the indoor Challengers.

“That’s all behind me and I hope to learn from that and in this upcoming year really know what to do.”

It looks like Johnson knows exactly what to do. He owns six of his 13 career ATP-level match wins already in 2014 and he is up to a best-ever ranking of No. 69 in the world. The rise is positively meteoric, as Johnson was all the way down at 160th as recently as mid-January. He is also 21st in the 2014 ATP points race, which makes him the second American in that department behind only John Isner.

Johnson will look to keep his hot streak going on Thursday in Houston against Fernando Verdasco.

Topics: Denis Kudla, Fernando Verdasco, Houston, Ricky Dimon, sports news, Steve Johnson, Tennis, US Men's Clay Court Championship, Usta

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10sBalls_com says:

April 9, 2014 at 8:16 am

Johnson Continues Winning Ways In Houston – http://t.co/AfIfKRc3zM @RD_Tennistalk @SJohnson_89 #houston #tennis #news
RD_Tennistalk says:

April 9, 2014 at 8:18 am

RT @10sBalls_com: Johnson Continues Winning Ways In Houston – http://t.co/AfIfKRc3zM @RD_Tennistalk @SJohnson_89 #houston #tennis #news
ARhyneMoment says:

April 9, 2014 at 8:38 am

RT @10sBalls_com: Johnson Continues Winning Ways In Houston – http://t.co/AfIfKRc3zM @RD_Tennistalk @SJohnson_89 #houston #tennis #news