FAYEZ SAROFIM & CO. US MEN’S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIP
HOUSTON, Texas, USA; Surface: red clay
Seeds: Jack Sock, John Isner, Sam Querrey, Steve Johnson, Fernando Verdasco, Feliciano Lopez, Donald Young, Thomaz Bellucci
Floaters: Reilly Opelka, Tommy Haas, Bjorn Fratangelo, Juan Monaco, Kevin Anderson, Frances Tiafoe
Notes: No Top 10ers, but the home fans get Americans as the Top 4 seeds…The Top 4 seeds receive opening-round byes…The Tommy Haas goodbye tour hits Houston…Interesting starts for (1) Sock against the Haas-Opelka winner, (6) Lopez vs. the former French juniors winner Fratangelo, (4) Johnson vs. the experienced dirt-baller and defending champ Monaco, (5) Verdasco vs. the big-serving South African Anderson, and (8) Bellucci vs. the emerging American Tiafoe…Wildcards went to Americans Ernesto Escobedo, Fratangelo and Opelka…Adrian Mannarino withdrew from the event…The Bryan brothers are top-seeded in doubles…Monaco beat Sock in last year’s final…Former champs in the field are Monaco (2016,’12), Sock (2015), Verdasco (2014), Isner (2013), and Haas (2004).
GRAND PRIX HASSAN II
MARRAKECH, Morocco; Surface: red clay
Seeds: Grigor Dimitrov, Albert Ramos Vinolas, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Mischa Zverev, Paolo Lorenzi, Benoit Paire, Diego Schwartzman, Marcel Granollers
Floaters: Tommy Robredo, Nicolas Almagro, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Borna Coric
Notes: No Top 10ers in the field but you have not-so-Baby Fed…Lots of unseeded Spanish talent and more…The Top 4 seeds receive opening-round byes…Interesting starts for (1) Dimitrov vs. Robredo, (6) Paire second rd. vs. Almagro, (5) Lorenzo vs. G-Lo, and (7) Schwartzman vs. Coric…Wildcards were awarded to Morocco’s Amine Ahouda and Reda El Amrani, and Dimitrov…Pulling from the tournament were Damir Dzumhur, Karen Khachanov, Andrey Kuznetsov, and Daniil Medvedev…Federico Delbonis beat Coric in last year’s final…Former champs in the field are Delbonis (2016), Martin Klizan (2015), Garcia-Lopez (2014), Robredo (2013), and Paul-Henri Mathieu (2007).
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