The 2024 Houston Open, also known as the Fayez Sarofim & Co, U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, is an ATP 250 tournament on clay courts taking place at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston. It’s one of three ATP events taking place this week alongside the Millennium Estoril Open and Grand Prix Hassan II in Morocco. The tournament is headlined by Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, who are among the five of eight Americans in the quarter-finals.
Let’s take a look back at this week’s action and preview what to expect this weekend.
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Early Rounds Recap
While things have gone mostly as expected early in the week in Houston, there were a few upsets, including second seed Francisco Cerundolo losing his first match in the Round of 16 to Luciano Darderi, the world No. 73, who now faces American Marcos Giron in the quarter-finals. Fifth seed Christopher Eubanks also lost in the first round.
Shelton, the top seed in the tournament, earned a spot in the quarter-finals with a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Zizou Bergs in the Round of 16. Tiafoe, the defending champion and fourth American to win the event in five years, beat Aussie James Duckworth in three sets in Round of 16.
Five Americans Headline the QFs
In addition to Shelton, Tiafoe, and Giron, Americans Brandon Naksahima and Michael Mmoh are also into the quarter-finals. Nakashima scored straight set victories over Duje Ajdukovic and Rinky Hijakta, while Mmoh, a wildcard entry, beat JP Varillas and Max Purcell in straight sets. The other three quarter-finalists are Darderi, Jordan Thompson, and Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Marquee Matches
Ben Shelton (-125) vs. Brandon Nakashima (+105)
Although he’s the top seed in the tournament and the higher-ranked player, it’s telling that Shelton is barely a betting favorite in his quarter-final match against Nakashima. He hasn’t played to expectations this season after a breakthrough year in 2023 and needed three sets to beat Bergs, who is ranked outside the top-100. Nakashima, meanwhile, has lost just 10 games through two matches in Houston and looks to be a good upset pick.
Frances Tiafoe (-180) vs. Jordan Thompson (+135)
Like Shelton, Tiafoe hasn’t exactly had a dream start to the 2024 season, but if there’s ever a chance for him to turn his fortunes around it’s in Houston, where he is the defending champion. Tiafoe is 8-7 this season and went 16-10 on clay courts during the last two seasons, while Thompson is just 6-15 on clay over the last four years. They’ve split their two prior meetings, with Thompson winning the most recent meeting in 2019, but expect Tiafoe to win Friday on clay courts.
Finals Prediction
With five Americans in the quarter-finals, there’s a strong possibility of an all-American final in Houston. Shelton may be the top seed, but his performance as of late doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence. The path is clear for Tiafoe, who would have a favorable semi-final match-up as well if he can beat Thompson in the quarters.
Pick: Tiafoe def. Nakashima
