U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships

U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship

Tournament information
Location	Houston, Texas United States
Venue	River Oaks Country Club
Category	Grand Prix Tour (1970–89) (GP Championship Series in 1974–77) ATP World Series (1990–1997) ATP International Series (1998–2008) ATP World Tour 250 series (2009–current)
Surface	Maroon Clay / Outdoors
Draw	28S/32Q/16D
Prize money	$500,000
Website	MensClayCourt.com
Current champions
Men's singles	Jack Sock
Men's doubles	Ričardas Berankis / Teymuraz Gabashvili

The U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship is an annual ATP Tour tennis tournament that started in 1910. It is the last remaining ATP Tour-level tournament in the United States to be played on clay courts.

The tournament began in 1910 when the Western Lawn Tennis Association (a section of the United States Lawn Tennis Association now known as the USTA/Midwest) lobbied the USLTA that a National Clay Court Championship would help promote the establishment of more clay courts in the West. Clay courts were more economical to install and maintain than grass courts, and the hope was that the lower costs associated with court construction would allow for a more rapid expansion of the game. The first National Clay Court Championships were held at the Omaha Field Club with a crowd of 5,000 watching the finals. Participation and play on clay grew as a result of the event and others, and in 1914 the event was moved to the Cincinnati Tennis Club. It has since been played in numerous cities, with long stints in River Forest and Indianapolis, and is today held in Houston, Texas.^[1] Between 1970 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix Tennis Tour as part of the Grand Prix Championship Series of events (1970–1986).

Relocation

The event was held at the Houston Westside Tennis Club from 2001–07. On May 8, 2007, the U.S. Tennis Association announced that the River Oaks Country Club in the River Oaks neighborhood would host the tournament starting in 2008, which will keep the event in Houston for several years. Other cities that competed for the event were Atlanta, Georgia, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The tournament pays out US$474,000 with the winner receiving US$85,900.^[2] The River Oaks venue features a stadium with seating for 3,000. Temporary seating for 500 will be installed for the second court.^[3]

In 2007, after a few years being held on the same red clay used at the French Open, the event was held on Har-Tru green clay. In 2008, the event went to a maroon color of Har-Tru clay as the River Oaks Country Club renovated their courts in 2005. After renovating their courts again in late 2008, the surface remained the same.

Champions

River Oaks Country Club

Bill Tilden holds the record for most titles (7).
Bill Tilden and Frank Parker co-hold the record of most finals (8).

Year	City	Champion	Runner-up	Score
1910	Omaha, Nebraska	Melville H. Long	Walter Merrill Hall	6–0, 6–1, 6–1
1911	Omaha, Nebraska	Walter T. Hayes	Percy D. Siverd	7–5, 6–2, 6–1
1912	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Richard N. Williams	Walter T. Hayes	6–3, 6–1, 8–6
1913	Omaha, Nebraska	John R. Strachan	Walter Merrill Hall	6–0, 6–4, 4–6, 6–4
1914	Cincinnati, Ohio	Clarence Griffin	Elia Fottrell	3–6, 6–8, 8–6, 6–0, 6–2
1915	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Richard N. Williams	Clarence Griffin	Default
1916	Cleveland, Ohio	Willis E. Davis	Conrad B. Doyle	6–2, 7–5, 6–3
1917	Cleveland, Ohio	Samuel Hardy	Charles Garland	3–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–3
1918	Chicago, Illinois	Bill Tilden	Charles Garland	6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 6–2
1919		William Johnston^[4]	Bill Tilden	6–0, 6–1, 4–6, 6–2
1920		Roland Roberts	Vincent Richards	6–3, 6–1, 6–3
1921		Walter T. Hayes	Alexander Squair	6–0, 6–2, 6–4
1922	Indianapolis, Indiana	Bill Tilden	Zenzo Shimizu	7–5, 6–3, 6–1
1923	Indianapolis, Indiana	Bill Tilden	Manuel Alonso	6–2, 6–8, 6–1, 7–5
1924	St. Louis, Missouri	Bill Tilden	Harvey Snodgrass	6–2, 6–1, 6–1
1925	St. Louis, Missouri	Bill Tilden	George Lott	3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–2, 8–6
1926	Detroit, Michigan	Bill Tilden	Brian I. C. Norton	Default
1927	Detroit, Michigan	Bill Tilden	John F. Hennessey	6–4, 6–1, 6–2
1928	Not Held
1929	Indianapolis, Indiana	Emmett Pare	J. Gilbert Hall	6–4, 6–3, 4–6, 3–6, 6–1
1930	Kansas City, Missouri	Bryan Grant	Wilbur F. Coen, Jr.	6–2, 6–4, 6–2
1931	St. Louis, Missouri	Ellsworth Vines	Keith Gledhill	6–3, 6–3, 6–3
1932	Memphis, Tennessee	George Lott	Bryan Grant	3–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1933	Chicago, Illinois	Frank Parker	Gene Mako	6–3, 6–3, 6–3
1934		Bryan Grant	Donald Budge	6–2, 8–6, 6–3
1935		Bryan Grant	Frank Parker	4–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–3, 6–0
1936	River Forest, Illinois	Bobby Riggs	Frank Parker	6–1, 6–8, 6–4
1937	Chicago, Illinois	Bobby Riggs	Joe Hunt	6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4
1938	River Forest, Illinois	Bobby Riggs	Gardnar Mulloy	6–4, 5–7, 4–6, 6–1, 7–5
1939	Chicago, Illinois	Frank Parker	Gardnar Mulloy	6–3, 6–0, 5–7, 6–1
1940	Chicago, Illinois	Donald McNeill	Bobby Riggs	6–1, 6–4, 6–8, 6–3
1941	River Forest, Illinois	Frank Parker	Bobby Riggs	6–3, 7–5, 6–8, 4–6, 6–3
1942	St. Louis, Missouri	Seymour Greenberg	Harris Everett	5–7, 7–5, 7–9, 7–5
1943	Detroit, Michigan	Seymour Greenberg	William Talbert	6–1, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3
1944	Detroit, Michigan	Pancho Segura	William Talbert	6–3, 2–6, 7–5, 6–3
1945	Chicago, Illinois	William Talbert	Pancho Segura	6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 2–6, 6–2
1946	River Forest, Illinois	Frank Parker	William Talbert	6–4, 6–4, 6–2
1947	Salt Lake City, Utah	Frank Parker	Ted Schroeder	8–6, 6–2, 6–4
1948	River Forest, Illinois	Pancho Gonzalez	Nick Carter	7–5, 6–2, 6–3
1949		Pancho Gonzalez	Frank Parker	6–1, 3–6, 8–6, 6–3
1950		Herbert Flam	Ted Schroeder	6–1, 6–2, 6–2
1951		Tony Trabert	Arthur Larsen	6–8, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 8–6
1952		Arthur Larsen	Richard Savitt	4–6, 6–4, 6–2, 6–4
1953		Vic Seixas	Hamilton Richardson	6–2, 6–4, 6–3
1954		Bernard Bartzen	Tony Trabert	6–4, 4–6, 6–0, 6–2
1955	Atlanta, Georgia	Tony Trabert	Bernard Bartzen	10–8, 6–1, 6–4
1956	River Forest, Illinois	Herbert Flam	Edward Moylan	3–6, 6–3, 1–6, 6–3, 6–3
1957		Vic Seixas	Herbert Flam	1–6, 8–6, 6–1, 6–3
1958		Bernard Bartzen	Sam Giammalva	3–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–2
1959		Bernard Bartzen	Whitney Reed	6–0, 8–6, 9–7
1960		Barry MacKay	Bernard Bartzen	4–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–0
1961		Bernard Bartzen	Donald Dell	6–1, 2–6, 6–2, 6–0
1962	Chicago, Illinois	Chuck McKinley	Fred Stolle	6–3, 8–6, 6–4
1963	River Forest, Illinois	Chuck McKinley	Dennis Ralston	6–2, 6–2, 6–4
1964		Dennis Ralston	Chuck McKinley	6–2, 6–2, 6–1
1965		Dennis Ralston	Cliff Richey	6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
1966	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	Cliff Richey	Frank Froehling II	13–11, 6–1, 6–3
1967		Arthur Ashe	Marty Riessen	4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 7–5
1968		Clark Graebner	Stan Smith	6–3, 7–5, 6–0
1969	Indianapolis, Indiana	Željko Franulović	Arthur Ashe	8–6, 6–3, 6–4
1970		Cliff Richey	Stan Smith	6–2, 10–8, 3–6, 6–1
1971		Željko Franulović	Cliff Richey	6–3, 6–4, 0–6, 6–3
1972		Bob Hewitt	Jimmy Connors	7–6, 6–1, 6–2
1973		Manuel Orantes	Georges Goven	6–4, 6–1, 6–4
1974		Jimmy Connors	Björn Borg	5–7, 6–3, 6–4
1975		Manuel Orantes	Arthur Ashe	6–2, 6–2
1976		Jimmy Connors	Wojtek Fibak	6–2, 6–4
1977		Manuel Orantes	Jimmy Connors	6–1, 6–3
1978		Jimmy Connors	José Higueras	7–5, 6–1
1979		Jimmy Connors	Guillermo Vilas	6–1, 2–6, 6–4
1980		José Luis Clerc	Mel Purcell	7–5, 6–3
1981		José Luis Clerc	Ivan Lendl	4–6, 6–4, 6–2
1982		José Higueras	Jimmy Arias	7–5, 5–7, 6–3
1983		Jimmy Arias	Andrés Gómez	6–4, 2–6, 6–4
1984		Andrés Gómez	Balázs Taróczy	6–0, 7–6
1985		Ivan Lendl	Andrés Gómez	6–1, 6–3
1986		Andrés Gómez	Thierry Tulasne	6–4, 7–6
1987		Mats Wilander	Kent Carlsson	7–5, 6–3
1988	Charleston, South Carolina	Andre Agassi	Jimmy Arias	6–2, 6–2
1989	Charleston, South Carolina	Jay Berger	Lawson Duncan	6–4, 6–3
1990	Kiawah Island, South Carolina	David Wheaton	Mark Kaplan	6–4, 6–4
1991	Charlotte, North Carolina	Jaime Yzaga	Jimmy Arias	6–3, 7–5
1992		MaliVai Washington	Claudio Mezzadri	6–3, 6–3
1993		Horacio de la Peña	Jaime Yzaga	3–6, 6–3, 6–4
1994	Birmingham, Alabama	Jason Stoltenberg	Gabriel Markus	6–3, 6–4
1995	Pinehurst, North Carolina	Thomas Enqvist	Javier Frana	6–3, 3–6, 6–3
1996	Pinehurst, North Carolina	Fernando Meligeni	Mats Wilander	6–4, 6–2
1997	Orlando, Florida	Michael Chang	Grant Stafford	4–6, 6–2, 6–1
1998		Jim Courier	Michael Chang	7–5, 3–6, 7–5
1999		Magnus Norman	Guillermo Cañas	6–0, 6–3
2000		Fernando González	Nicolás Massú	6–2, 6–3
2001	Houston, Texas	Andy Roddick	Hyung-Taik Lee	7–5, 6–3
2002		Andy Roddick	Pete Sampras	7–6^(11–9), 6–3
2003		Andre Agassi	Andy Roddick	3–6, 6–3, 6–4
2004		Tommy Haas	Andy Roddick	6–3, 6–4
2005		Andy Roddick	Sébastien Grosjean	6–2, 6–2
2006		Mardy Fish	Jürgen Melzer	3–6, 6–4, 6–3
2007		Ivo Karlović	Mariano Zabaleta	6–4, 6–1
2008		Marcel Granollers	James Blake	6–4, 1–6, 7–5
2009		Lleyton Hewitt	Wayne Odesnik	6–2, 7–5
2010		Juan Ignacio Chela	Sam Querrey	5–7, 6–4, 6–3
2011		Ryan Sweeting	Kei Nishikori	6–4, 7–6^(7–3)
2012		Juan Mónaco	John Isner	6–2, 3–6, 6–3
2013		John Isner	Nicolás Almagro	6–3, 7–5
2014		Fernando Verdasco	Nicolás Almagro	6–3, 7–6^(7–4)
2015		Jack Sock	Sam Querrey	7–6^(11–9), 7–6^(7–2)

References

↑ Clifford Terry (July 11, 1965). "Tennis by the quartz". Chicago Tribune. pp. Sunday Magazine, 16–19.
↑ "ATP Website – tournament profile". Retrieved December 11, 2014.
↑ Robertson, Dale (May 8, 2007). "Clay Courts finds new home at River Oaks". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
↑ "W.M. Johnston Wins Two Tennis Titles". The Toronto World (Chicago). July 21, 1919. p. 8.

Sources

References used for the Pre-Open Era locations and champions: United States Lawn Tennis Association Yearbook (1942–'44, '48–49, '51, '53. '55–56, '60, '64, '66 & '69), Spalding Lawn Tennis Annual (1916, '24–'28, '30–'31 & '39), Wright & Ditson's Lawn Tennis Annual (1911–'14, 1921, 1932–'33, '35 & '37), New York Times articles (1910–'14, '16, '18–'19 & '21–'22), From Club Court to Center Court by Phillip S. Smith (2007 Edition, page 67).