History was made Thursday at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.
For the first time since 1991 (Orlando), Americans will occupy all eight quarter-final spots of an ATP Tour event, with Frances Tiafoe among the home favourites who helped achieve the feat. Alex Michelsen completed the quarter-final lineup in the final match of the evening.
The 2023 champion Tiafoe booked his ticket to the last eight by defeating Australian Adam Walton 7-5, 6-3, fuelled by the second seed’s 35 winners.
“I felt like I really played every single point, I felt super dialled in,” Tiafoe said after the 90-minute victory. “I was in the zone, so to speak. I don’t think I played my best tennis, but I thought it was a good match overall. Good first match, especially on clay. Just happy to get through. Every win right now is big for me.”
The 27-year-old will next meet fifth-seeded Michelsen, who rallied past French lefty Adrian Mannarino 6-7(0), 6-4, 6-2. After Mannarino’s flawless first-set tie-break, the 20-year-old Michelsen quickly rebounded by jumping to a 5-1 lead in the second set and holding three set points on return that game.
Michelsen and Mannarino traded momentum shifts throughout the night, highlighted by three consecutive breaks to open the deciding set and 11 total breaks across the two-hour, 28-minute clash. But it was Michelsen who remained the more consistent in key moments, becoming the youngest American quarter-finalist in Houston since a 20-year-old Taylor Fritz in 2018.
In other Houston action, Nakashima ousted Mackenzie McDonald 6-1, 7-5 to claim his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head win across five meetings with the 29-year-old. Nakashima won 82 per cent of his second-serve points, compared to McDonald’s 45 per cent, and did not face a break point.
“Mackie is a great friend of mine. We have a lot of fun off the court together. Every time we play it’s going to be a battle,” the 23-year-old Nakashima said. “I think today I served really well and definitely feeling pretty comfortable on the clay.”
Competing as World No. 33 in the PIF ATP Rankings, one spot off his career high, Nakashima will next face the 6’7” Eubanks, who advanced after former No. 4 Kei Nishikori retired with the American leading 6-1.
The quarter-finals in the top half of draw will be top seed Tommy Paul against qualifier Colton Smith and former No. 33 Jenson Brooksby taking on Aleksandar Kovacevic.
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