HOUSTON – The youngest final on the ATP circuit in 2011 will take place Sunday at River Oaks when 23-year-old American Ryan Sweeting plays 21-year-old Japanese Kei Nishikori in the final of the US Men’s Clay Court Championship.
Both players have already secured a career-high ATP World Tour ranking for Monday just by reaching the final, and will look to add to that career best with a win on Sunday.
Nishikori, the sixth seed, will come in with a decided advantage, first as a former ATP title winner (2008 in Delray Beach) and second by holding a 4-0 lifetime record against Sweeting, including three matches in Challengers.
Sunday will be Sweeting’s first appearance in an ATP final. He is the fourth consecutive American, and 10th in 11 years, to appear in the US Men’s Clay Court Championship title match.
A win by Sweeting would mark the first by an American on clay since Sam Querrey won in Belgrade last year, and he’d be the first American to win in Houston since Mardy Fish in 2006.
Nishikori’s title in 2008 made him the first Japanese player to hoist an ATP trophy since Shuzo Matsuoka won in Seoul in April 1992.
The final will get underway at 2 p.m. and will be broadcast live by the Tennis Channel.
