Blake, Fish, Haas, Hewitt at U.S. Clay Courts

A loaded American field this week kicks off the claycourt season at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, where James Blake, Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey are among the seeds.

Other seeded players are Jurgen Melzer, Jeremy Chardy, defending champ Marcel Granollers, Diego Junqueira, and Maximo Gonzalez.

Other Americans in the field are wildcards Taylor Dent and John Isner, Wayne Odesnik, and Robert Kendrick.

Former world No. 2 Tommy Haas also received a wildcard.

The top-seeded Blake opens in a tough meeting against Guillermo Canas, and could meet Dent in the second round.

The No. 7-seeded Junqueira also has a difficult opener against former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.

The No. 2-seeded Fish starts against German Bjorn Phau.

In last year's final the unseeded Granollers defeated the top-seeded Blake 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.