HOUSTON/STARNBERG, April 3, 2024
Tournament history at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship was broken twice on Stadium Court in two different matches on Tuesday with both the longest tie-breaker played (by score) and the longest first-round match played.
Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan and Frenchman Benoit Paire played the longest tie-break (by score) in US Clay history and longest on the ATP Tour this year, where Galan outlasted Paire 15-13 in the first set on his 10th set point. Galan was also part of the ATP Tour’s longest tie-breaker in 2023, falling 17-15 in a 25-minute decider to Alexander Bublik in Madrid.
A wild opening to Day 2️⃣ in Houston 😲
Daniel Elahi Galan takes a 15-13 tiebreak against Paire!#USClay pic.twitter.com/zxhF1Vp5HS
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 2, 2024
In other Houston action, US-American Aleksandar Kovacevic outlasted Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in three hours and 16 minutes 7-6(3), 6-7(2), 6-4, the longest first-round match recorded in tournament history and tied for second longest recorded match overall.
RESULTS – Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Singles First Round
[5] Marcos Giron (USA) d. [WC] Denis Shapovalov (Canada) 6-3, 7-5
[6] Jordan Thompson (Australia) d. [Q] Yibing Wu (China) 6-4 6-4
[8] Max Purcell (Australia) d. Alex Michelsen (USA) 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-4
Daniel Elahi Galan (Colombia) d. Benoit Paire (France) 7-6(13), 6-4
[WC] Michael Mmoh (USA) d. Juan Pablo Varillas 6-2, 7-6(4)
Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA) d. Thanasi Kokkinakis (Australia) 7-6(3), 6-7(2), 6-4
James Duckworth (Australia) d. [Q] Gijs Brouwer (Netherlands) 6-3, 6-3
Luciano Darderi (Italy) d. [WC] Denis Kudla (USA) 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2
Doubles – First Round
Andrew Harris (Australia)/Rinky Hijikata (Australia) d. [2] Nate Lammons (USA)/Jackson Withrow (USA) 6-4, 6-4
[WC] Andres Andrade (Ecuador)/Ben Shelton (USA) d. [3] Julian Cash (Great Britain)/Robert Galloway (USA) 6-7(5), 6-3, 10-5
ORDER OF PLAY -Wednesday, April 3, 2024
STADIUM COURT start 12:00 noon
[1] Austin Krajicek (USA)/Rajeev Ram (USA) vs N. Sriram Balaji (India)/Andre Begemann (Germany)
Not Before 2:00 pm
Luciano Darderi (Italy) vs [2] Francisco Cerundolo (Argentina)
Brandon Nakashima (USA) vs Rinky Hijikata (Australia)
Night Session – Not Before 6:00 pm
[1] Ben Shelton (USA) vs Zizou Bergs (Belgium)
[7] Marcos Giron (USA) or vs J.J. Wolf (USA)
COURT 3 start 1 p.m.
First Round – Arjun Kadhe (India)/Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan (India) vs [PR] Marcos Daniell (New Zealand)/Luis David Martinez (Venezuela)
Not Before 3:00 pm
Quarterfinals – [4] Max Purcell (Australia) / Jordan Thompson (Australia) vs Anirudh Chandrasekar (India) / Vijay Sundar Prashanth (India)
Not Before 4:30 pm (after suitable rest)
First Round – Luciano Darderi (Italy) / Tomas Martin Etcheverry (Argentina) vs Fernando Romboli (Brazil) / Marcelo Zormann (Brazil)
