Watch highlights as Steve Johnson defeats countryman Tennys Sandgren to win his second consecutive Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship title. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com. Photo: Aaron M. Sprecher/US Clay.
Steve Johnson should celebrate his wedding with an extra-wide grin next weekend. The 28-year-old American retained his Houston title during an emotional final on Sunday, beating compatriot Tennys Sandgren 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-4 at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship. Johnson became the first American to go back-to-back in Houston since Andy Roddick in 2001-02. The California native had to go through his compatriots to pull it off. He beat five Americans – Ernesto Escobedo, Frances Tiafoe, John Isner, Taylor Fritz and Sandgren – to hoist his third ATP World Tour title (2017 Houston, 2016 Nottingham). “It means a lot [to win] here. This is one of the best tournaments of the year. You get the atmosphere...
There is no stopping Max Mirnyi, even at the age of 40. 'The Beast' captured his 52nd tour-level doubles title on Saturday evening at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, teaming with Philipp Oswald. The Belarusian-Austrian duo rallied past Andre Begemann and Antonio Sancic 6-7(2), 6-4, 11/9 under the lights at the River Oaks Country Club. They captured their third team title and second of the year, having emerged with the trophy on the indoor hard courts of New York in February. "I'm definitely coming to the end of my career and I hope I have another go here next year," said Mirnyi. "It's my first title in Houston after all these years. I want to...
For just the second time in the past 15 years, the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship will feature an all-American final. Tennessee native Tennys Sandgren will clash with California's Steve Johnson for the title, after both battled through tricky semi-final encounters on Saturday. Johnson and Sandgren are slated to meet for the first time at the tour-level, marking the first championship clash in Houston between home hopefuls since 2015, when Jack Sock defeated Sam Querrey. That year, Sock lifted his maiden ATP World Tour trophy and Sandgren will look to do the same on Sunday. The 26-year-old toppled Ivo Karlovic 7-6(2), 7-6(4) in one hour and 38 minutes, surviving an offensive onslaught from the big-hitting Croatian....
Max Mirnyi had faced Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan plenty before taking the court Friday evening at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston. In fact, the Belarusian had played the brothers 54 times (31-23), and lost nine of their past 10 FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. But despite the 39-year-olds carrying a seven-match winning streak into the semi-final, Mirnyi and partner Philipp Oswald were too good on the night, ousting the recent Miami Open presented by Itaú champions 6-4, 2-6, 10/6. The Belarusian-Austrian duo dropped two of their first three service points in the Match Tie-break, but rallied from 4/3 down to win seven of the match's final nine points, advancing to the final. This...
