Dish-Houston

Four former champions are on the initial entry list of 21 players for the 2014 Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men's Clay Court Championship that will be held April 7-13. It will mark the 80th tournament that River Oaks Country Club has hosted.

Defending champion John Isner of the United States will be joined by former champions Juan Monaco(2012), Lleyton Hewitt (2009) and Ivo Karlovic (2007) in the tournament. 

Isner, at No. 13, is the top ranked of all entrants, and is one of three Top 20 players in the field, joined by Spaniards Tommy Robredo (No. 16) and Nicolas Almagro (No. 17). Robredo and Almagro, the 2013 runner-up, are two of only four active players on the ATP with more than 200 career match wins on clay.  

“We are very pleased to see the caliber of players on our initial entry list,” said Tournament Director Van Barry. “This field really has everything we could ask for - an international flavor, players with high rankings, players who have had success here and players who are well-liked by our fans. We are very excited to have all these guys come to River Oaks and are looking forward to a great week with them as we celebrate the 80th tournament in the Club's history.”

The initial entry list of 21 includes players from 13 countries. Three more players will be granted wild cards into the field, while four will be added through a qualifying tournament held April 5-7. Below is the initial entry list (Feb. 24 ranking in parentheses):

Nicolas Almagro - Spain (17)
Benjamin Becker - Germany (90)
Alex Bogomolov, Jr. - Russia (93)
Pablo Cuevas - Uruguay (197*)
Somdev Devvarman - India (78)
Matthew Ebden - Australia (62)
Alejandro Falla - Colombia (79)
Daniel Gimeno-Traver - Spain (85)
Santiago Giraldo - Colombia (58)
Alejandro Gonzalez - Colombia (76)
Lleyton Hewitt - Australia (42)
John Isner - United States (13)
Ivo Karlovic - Croatia (55)
Bradley Klahn - United States (65)
Feliciano Lopez - Spain (37)
Juan Monaco - Argentina (43)
Sam Querrey - United States (56)
Tommy Robredo - Spain (16)
Janko Tipsarevic - Serbia (70)
Fernando Verdasco - Spain (32)
Donald Young - United States (91)
*Entry based on injury protected ranking

Two of the top doubles teams on the ATP World Tour have also committed to play the 2014 tournament.Bob and Mike Bryan, the twin-brother tandem that has won four titles at the US Men's Clay Court Championship, and the Spanish duo of Fernando Verdasco and David Marrero, champions at the 2013 ATP World Tour Finals, have both been entered into the doubles draw.
 
In 2014, River Oaks Country Club will celebrate hosting a tournament for the 80^th time since its inauguration in 1931. The upcoming tournament will also mark the 104^th staging of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship.

Tickets for the 2014 Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men's Clay Court Championship are on sale now. For more information, CLICK HERE.  

Four former winners of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship headline the initial acceptance list for the 2012 tournament that will be played April 9-15 at River Oaks Country Club.
 
Defending champion Ryan Sweeting will be joined in the field by former champions Marcel Granollers (2008), Ivo Karlovic (2007) and World No. 8 Mardy Fish (2006). They are joined in the field by James Blake, who was a two-time winner of the River Oaks International (2003, ’05).
 
Blake is also one of three US Men’s Clay Court Championship finalists in the field. The 2008 runner-up is joined by countrymen Sam Querrey (2010) and Wayne Odesnik (2009) in returning to River Oaks.
 
Those Americans are part of a contingent of eight US players in the field. Joining Sweeting, Fish, Blake, Querrey and Odesnik will be John Isner, who reached a career high ranking of No. 11 this week, Ryan Harrison and Bobby Reynolds.
 
“It is a great sign for the tournament to have so many players coming back to a place where they have previously had success,” said tournament director Van Barry. “This field represents a great mix of Americans as well as international stars, some very accomplished clay court players, veteran talent and rising stars. We really feel there is something for every fan with this roster of players.”
 
Here’s a look at the initial field and their ranking as of February 27, 2012:
44 Carlos Berlocq (ARG)                     
63 James Blake (USA)                       
35 Alex Bogomolov, Jr. (RUS)           
8 Mardy Fish (USA)                       
101 Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)          
28 Marcel Granollers (ESP)           
65 Ryan Harrison (USA)                       
11 John Isner (USA)                       
105 Tatsuma Ito (JPN)                       
41 Ivo Karlovic (CRO)                       
77 Igor Kunitsyn (RUS)                       
102 Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)                       
66 Xavier Malisse (BEL)                      
108 Wayne Odesnik (USA)           
109 Bjorn Phau (GER)
103 Eric Prodon (FRA)
87 Sam Querrey (USA)
113 Bobby Reynolds (USA)
100 Joao Souza (BRA)
82 Ryan Sweeting (USA)
98 Adrian Ungur (ROU)

Four other players will join the field through the qualifying tournament that begins April 7. Three players will also be awarded wild cards into the field.
 
The doubles field will be announce just before the tournament, but four-time winners of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship Bob and Mike Bryan have committed to return and defend their title once again.

It’s not too late to purchase individual session tickets and the very popular “Champ Pass” for the 2012 US Men’s Clay Court Championship! The Champ Pass includes a ticket to the Friday, Saturday and Sunday sessions, which are usually sold out before the tournament begins. Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com or by calling 713-874-6294