US Men’s Clay Court Championships draw dominated by American seeds

The top four seeds for the US Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston are all American.

Frances Tiafoe enjoys top billing at the historic tournament and alongside the other top four seeds enjoys a bye into the second round of the ATP 250 tournament.

Tiafoe’s first opponent will be either Argentine Facundo Bagnis or two-time tournament champion Steve Johnson who is entered on a wildcard.

If seeding holds Tiafoe will face compatriot John Isner in the last four with the veteran seeded fourth.

Isner will open his bid for a second Houston title against either fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic or Dutch hopeful Gijs Brouwer.

The first seed that Tiafoe could possible meet would be No 6 Jason Kubler who is bracketed to face him in the last eight should both ment make it that far at the US Men’s Clay Court Championships.

Kubler starts his tournament with a tough assignment against Spanish wildcard Fernando Verdasco with the winner of that contest going on to battle the victor of the Round of 32 match between Daniel Elahi Galan and Zhizhen Zhang.

Tommy Paul anchors the draw as the No 2 seed but he will have to wait to learn the potential identities of his Round of 16 opponents as he is bracketed alongside a match which will be populated by the qualifying event.

Paul shares the bottom half of the draw with No 3 seed Brandon Nakashima who will face either Hugo Dellien or 2019 champion Cristian Garin in his opener in Houston.

Nakashima could be set for a quarterfinal meeting with eighth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Etcheverry gets his exertions underway in a battle with fellow Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerundolo, and the winner will be tasked with facing the man who prevails in the meeting between Australia’s Max Purcell and Germany’s Daniel Altmaier.

Meanwhile, 2015 champion Jack Sock has entered as a wildcard and could prove to be a banana skin for No 7 seed Marcos Giron or Paul.

The tournament was robbed of its defending champion by injury with Reilly Opelka unable to return to try and retain the crown.

Fifth seed JJ Wolf is lined up to enjoy a quarterfinal battle with Isner if all things fall correctly.

Wolf opens his tournament against Australia’s Jordan Thompson with the winner going on to face either Denis Kudla or a qualifier in the Round of 16.

Before the 2020 cancellation, the US Men’s Clay Court Championships had been held every year since 1968.

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