Dish-Houston

The HOT boys of Tennis are lining up to grace H-Town with their fast and furious game! Two more American stars have committed to play the 2011 US Men’s Clay Court Championship April 4-10 at River Oaks Country Club.
 
James Blake, the 2008 finalist, and John Isner, who shattered every conceivable match record during a marathon first round match at last year’s Wimbledon, have been added to a singles field that already includes 2010 finalist Sam Querrey and 2006 champion Mardy Fish.
 
These four singles stars will be joined by three-time doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan, who claimed their 10^th career major title by winning the Australian Open last month.
 
“It seems appropriate to talk about having an all-American field at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship” said tournament director Van Barry. “These players represent really two generations of American talent on the ATP World Tour. It will be our pleasure to host them along with the rest of our field at River Oaks April 4-10.”
 
Blake has been ranked as high as No. 4 in his career. He owns 10 career titles, and has reached 14 other finals, including at River Oaks in 2006. The 2008 recipient of the River Oaks Ernest Langston Sportsmanship Trophy along with his brother, Thomas, Blake owns a 16-9 career record in the US Men’s Clay Court Championship. In 2004, he teamed with Fish to claim the doubles title.
 
Isner will be making his fourth career appearance in Houston. Last year was a breakout season for the 6-foot-9 player who won an NCAA team title at Georgia. He won his maiden ATP title in Auckland while reaching three other finals. But his 2010 will be best remembered for pulling out an epic 70-68 fifth set win over Nicolas Mahut in the Wimbledon first round. Spread over three days, the match totaled 11 hours, five minutes, and featured 113 Isner aces.
 
Querrey also enjoyed a great 2010, ending the season with a career high ranking of No. 18 after winning a career-best four titles during the season, third-most on the ATP circuit, behind only Rafael Nadal (7) and Roger Federer (5). In April, Querrey reached the final at River Oaks where he lost to Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela.
 
Fish, the 2006 Houston champion, reached four finals in 2010, winning a pair of titles. He ended the year at a career high ranking of No. 16 having posted a career high for match wins with a 40-14 record in 2010. Fish is 9-7 all-time at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship in singles, and is a two-time doubles champion, teaming with Andy Roddick to claim the title in 2002 and with Blake to win in 2004.
 
The Bryans pushed their record haul of career titles to 68 thanks to a win at the Australian Open last month. The title in Melbourne was the 10^th major title of their career. The twins from California who are three-time champions at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship finished as the No. 1 team in the World for the sixth time in eight years in 2010.
 
The full singles acceptance list for the 2011 event will be released in late February.
 
Individual and “Champ Pass” tickets for the 2011 US Men’s Clay Court Championship are on sale now. The popular Champ Pass includes a ticket to the Friday, Saturday and Sunday sessions, which are usually sold out before the tournament begins. A limited number of season ticket packages for the 2011 event are still remaining. Information on tickets can be found at www.mensclaycourt.com or by calling 713-874-6294.

US Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club
The 102nd competition for the US Men’s Clay Court Championship will be held April 4-10, 2011, at River Oaks Country Club in Houston. Started by the USTA in 1910, it has been held at numerous venues around the country. The tournament has been held in Houston since 2001, and will be held at River Oaks Country Club for the third straight year. Prior to hosting the US Men’s Clay Court Championship, River Oaks Country Club hosted its own event, The River Oaks International. Started in 1931, the River Oaks International roster of former champions includes Jack Kramer, Tony Trabert, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Ken Rosewall, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas and James Blake. The 2011 US Men’s Clay Court Championship will be the 77^th tournament at River Oaks, with the club hosting a tournament every year since 1946 after a four-year lapse due to the war. More information is available at www.mensclaycourt.com or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mensclaycourt.