Americans Sock and Johnson Move Into Second Round in Houston

Americans Jack Sock and Steve Johnson made their way into the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships second round with victories on Tuesday.

In one of the earlier matches of the day, Johnson took out fellow American and 45th-ranked Donald Young 7-5, 6-4. In what was a tight match, Johnson notched the lone break in the opening set which allowed him to take it, and then picked up two break points in the second frame to push past Young.

He will meet a familiar foe in the second round when he takes on his compatriot Sam Querrey, who advanced after Australian Marinko Matosevic retired during the match.

Sock has played well in his first two tournaments since coming back from hip surgery, and continued that on Tuesday, battling back from a set down to defeat Brazil’s Joao Souza 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

The 22-year-old Sock broke three times in the final set to push past Souza and into the second round. In the next stage, Sock will take on second-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut.

Former top 10 player Janko Tipsarevic made his comeback after a nearly two-year absence from the ATP Tour, beating Brazil’s Guilherme Clezar 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(7).

Tipsarevic, who has had multiple surgeries on his left foot over the past year-plus, had to save two match points to finally outlast the qualifier.

“In my mind, I don’t feel like I was away for so long,” said Tipsarevic. “I felt like this was a match I needed to win. I was ready and I was fit. I had no confidence coming in, but saving match points with forehand winners down the line maybe proved otherwise. I really felt I had to win this match, and I would have been really sad otherwise.”

Tipsarevic continues his comeback run against Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo. The fifth-seeded Giraldo cruised past Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-2, 6-2.

American Tim Smyczek was handled easily by Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili, who didn’t even face a break point chance in a 6-3, 6-3 victory. Gabashvili will meet fourth-seeded American John Isner in the second-round.

South Korean teenager Hyeon Chung, who became the youngest player to qualify in Houston since a 15-year old Ryan Harrison in 2008, advanced with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Facundo Arguello.

Chung draws sixth-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the second-round.

Seventh-seeded Jeremy Chardy also made his way into the next stage on Tuesday, rolling past Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-4.