Dish-Houston

For the third year in a row, an American is through to the final at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship, but Sam Querrey will have a tough fight on his hands if he’s going to be the first American to win the title since 2006 when he faces Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela on Sunday at 2 pm.

Querrey is playing in a clay court final for the first time in his career, while Chela owns four titles on clay in his career.

However, Querrey has already tasted success in 2010, having won the title in Memphis in February over countryman John Isner. For Chela, his run this week puts him in an ATP World Tour final for the first time since he claimed the title in Acapulco in 2007.

Querrey reached the final with a 7-6(3) 1-6 7-5 win over fellow American Wayne Odesnik, while Chela defeated countryman Horacio Zeballos 7-5 6-2 to claim the title.

The last American to win the US Men’s Clay Court Championship was Mardy Fish in 2006. The last Argentine champion was Horacio de la Pena in 1993.

This will be the first meeting between Chela and Querrey. The final will begin at 2 p.m.

On Saturday night, the Bob and Mike Bryan won their third US Men’s Clay Court Championship with a 6-3 7-5 win over Stephen Huss and Wesley Moodie in a rematch of the 2005 Wimbledon final.

The twins are only the second team to have won three USMCCC titles, joining the duo of Clark Graebner and Marty Riessen.

The Bryans also now have 59 titles together, just two shy of the all-time record held by 2010 International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.

Having not played here in 2008, the titles by the Bryans in 2007, 2009 and 2010 gives them a 12-match winning streak at the event.

LADIES! It's time for Tennis!! The U.S Men's Clay Court Champoinships are about to happen and the eye candy is uber sweet this year!! Last years winner Lleyton Hewitt has accepted a wild card to return from a January hip operation and defend his title at River Oaks Country Club April 5-11.

Hewitt, a former World No. 1, injured his right hip while playing Hopman Cup in early January 2010. After a fourth-round loss to Roger Federer at the Australian Open he underwent surgery in Hobart to repair a torn labrum. He had a similar operation on his left hip in April 2008.

“I’m really looking forward to returning to defend my title in Houston,” Hewitt said. “The River Oaks Club is a great place to play and the people there really supportive. I couldn’t think of a better place to come back on to the Tour after an injury.”

The last player to successfully defend his US Men’s Clay Court Championship title was Andy Roddick, who won titles in 2001 and 2002. Hewitt won the 2009 title without dropping a set.

Gold medalist and World No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez is projected to be the top seed for the US Men's Clay Court Championship. The tournament’s field also includes the entire US Davis Cup team of John Isner and Sam Querrey along with Bob and Mike Bryan. Former champions Mardy Fish and Ivo Karlovic are also entered into the tournament, along with Houston resident Michael Russell and fellow Americans Taylor Dent and Rajeev Ram.

Here’s a look at the full field and their ranking as of February 22, 2010.

Season tickets, individual sessions and the finals weekend “Champ Pass” for the 2010 are on sale now. In2009, the final three days of the tournament sold out by mid-week. Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com/tickets