HOUSTON WE HAVE TENNIS! GREAT WEEKEND OF MATCHES, JOHN ISNER, JACK SOCK AND FELICIANO LOPEZ AND JUAN MONACO

Written by: Staff on 8th April 2016

HOUSTON WE HAVE TENNIS! GREAT WEEKEND OF MATCHES, JOHN ISNER, JACK SOCK AND FELICIANO LOPEZ AND JUAN MONACO |

The grind continues #USClay #felicianolopez #tennis #riveroaks – Photo by @mensclaycourt via Instagram.

Isner-Sock, Monaco-Lopez

Set for Semifinal Showdowns

Bryans Play For Sixth Doubles Title Saturday

Below are today’s results and tomorrow’s schedule for the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club. Notes and links for more information follow.

RESULTS – Friday, April 8, 2016

Singles Quarterfinals

[1] John Isner (USA) d Hyeon Chung (Korea) 7-6(5) 6-4

[3] Feliciano Lopez (Spain) d [WC] Tim Smyczek (USA) 6-2 6-3

[4] Jack Sock (USA) d [7] Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 6-4 6-4

Juan Monaco (Argentina) d [5] Sam Querrey (USA) 6-4 6-4

Doubles Semifinals

[1] Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) d [4] Steve Johnson (USA) / Sam Querrey (USA) 7-6(5) 6-3

Victor Estrella Burgos (Dominican Republic) / Santiago Gonzalez (Mexico) d Hyeon Chung (Korea) / Julio Peralta (Chile) 6-3 4-6 10-7

SCHEDULE – Saturday, April 9, 2016

Center Court – 1:00 pm start

[3] Feliciano Lopez (Spain) vs Juan Monaco (Argentina)

[1] John Isner (USA) vs [4] Jack Sock (USA)

Not Before 6:00 pm

[1] Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) vs Victor Estrella Burgos (Dominican Republic) / Santiago Gonzalez (Mexico)

Tidbits:

– President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush attended Friday afternoon’s matches at River Oaks.

– With Friday’s wins by John Isner and Jack Sock, two Americans have reached the US Clay semifinals for the fourth time in five years.

– With Isner and Sock facing off in the semifinals, it assures an American will reach this final for the eighth time in the nine years since the tournament came to River Oaks.

– For the first time since 1970, three former champions – Jack Sock (2015), John Isner (2013) and Juan Monaco (2012) – have reached the US Clay semifinals. The marks the third time in the Open Era a trio of champs are included in the final four. The last time that happened was 1970 when Zeljko Franulovic (1969), Clark Graebner (1968) and Cliff Richey (1966) were semifinalists.

#USClay #tennis #juanmonaco #riveroaks – Photo by @mensclaycourt via Instagram.

– Juan Monaco is bidding to reach his 21st career ATP final. Monaco has the fifth most clay court wins among active ATP players with a 230-136 record, and seven titles, on the surface.

– Feliciano Lopez, who is one of only 13 active ATP players with over 400 career match wins, is bidding to reach his 14th career ATP final. He is back into the River Oaks semifinals for the second time (2012), and is looking to reach his fourth career clay court final.

– Saturday will be the sixth meeting between Lopez and Monaco, with Lopez winning four of those contests. They have met twice on clay, splitting those two meetings.

– John Isner is attempting to reach his 21st career ATP final and third at River Oaks (2012 runner-up, 2013 champion). Isner, the winner of 10 career titles, has fired 38 aces through two matches this week.

– Jack Sock has won seven straight matches at River Oaks. The defending champion here is bidding to reach his fourth career ATP final. He is attempting to be the first back-to-back champion at this event since Andy Roddick in 2001-02.

– Isner has a 4-2 series lead against Sock, and has won both meetings on clay, including a 2013 second round meeting here at River Oaks.

– Bob & Mike Bryan are five-time champions here, and have reached the final for an eighth time.

– The California twins have won 109 career titles together, but it has been 12 tournaments since their last win (Montreal in August 2015), one shy of the longest title drought of their career (13 events, Los Angeles 2001 to Acapulco 2002).

The Bryan Bros sure know how to draw a crowd #USClay #tennis #bryanbrothers #riveroaks – Photo by @mensclaycourt via Instagram.

– This would be the third tournament at which the Bryans have won the title at least six times (also Australian Open and Los Angeles).

– Victor Estrella Burgos and Santiago Gonzalez will face the Bryans in the doubles final. Gonzalez is playing for his 12th career ATP doubles title, and his second of 2016 (also Memphis). Estrella Burgos has reached his second career ATP doubles final (also Quito, 2015).

IMPORTANT LINKS

SINGLES DRAW

DOUBLES DRAW

QUALIFYING DRAW

FULL WEEK SCHEDULE

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

LIVE SCORES

Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club

River Oaks Country Club will be hosting a professional tournament for the 82nd time when the 2016 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship is held April 4-10. River Oaks first hosted its own tournament, The River Oaks International, in 1931, and its roster of former champions includes Jack Kramer, Tony Trabert, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas and James Blake. Houston is the 23rd city to host the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. The tournament came to Houston in 2001, and has been hosted at River Oaks since 2008. Started in 1910 by the USTA, the 2016 tournament will be the 106th competition for the Clay Court Championship. More information is available at www.usmensclaycourt.com