'Relaxed' Tiafoe Advances To Houston QFs

Jared Wickerham/US Clay

Top seed Frances Tiafoe began his clay-court season and Houston title campaign in convincing fashion Saturday. The American looks to complete double duty tonight, when he returns to court for the quarter-finals at the Fayez Sarofim & Co U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship.

The World No. 15 earned a 6-2, 6-4 second-round win against countryman Steve Johnson, who is a two-time Houston champion (2017, 2018). Tiafoe collected 26 of 31 points off his first delivery and didn’t face a break point en route to his maiden win against Johnson (1-2 ATP Head2Head).

“I played a lot better than I thought [I would],” Tiafoe said. “Honestly it kind of helped me in the end to have some days off… It gave me some time to practise on the clay a little bit.”

After rain cancelled much of play the past three days at the ATP 250, second-round winners will be back in action tonight for the quarter-finals. Tiafoe will meet Australian Jason Kubler, who defeated Daniel Elahi Galan 6-4, 6-2, after suitable rest.

Despite the Houston rain, the 25-year-old Tiafoe was unbothered by not playing his opening match until Saturday.

“I don’t mind chilling around. I can chill all day,” Tiafoe said. “I’m a pretty relaxed guy so it didn’t bother me too much.”

In other action, fifth seed J.J. Wolf defeated Denis Kudla 6-4, 6-1. Wolf will next meet Houston-born Gijs Brouwer, who upset fourth seed John Isner 6-4, 7-6(4). Brouwer, 27, held a 6-4, 5-6 lead before play was suspended Thursday. The Dutchman held his nerve Saturday morning and now looks to defeat Wolf for a second consecutive year in Houston, where Brouwer was a quarter-finalist (l. to Opelka) in 2022.

Four days after Yannick Hanfmann's first-round victory, the German qualifier returned to action and upset second seed Tommy Paul 7-6(6), 6-2. The 31-year-old converted his seventh match point to advance to his second quarter-final of the season (Santiago). Hanfmann will next face American Marcos Giron or Czech qualifier Tomas Machac.

Cristian Garin, who won the Houston title in 2019, survived two tie-breaks to down lucky loser Zizou Bergs 7-6(4), 7-6(1). The Chilean will tonight meet eighth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who ousted Australian Max Purcell 7-6(5), 6-1.