By Hanlon Walsh
Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe lead a pack of five Americans into an action-packed quarterfinal lineup slated for Friday. This marks only the 5th time over the last 23 years since the tournament relocated to Houston that five Americans have advanced to the quarterfinals.
Joining No. 1 seed Shelton and No. 3 Tiafoe among the Americans is No. 7 Marcos Giron, Michael Mmoh and Brandon Nakashima. Take a closer look at each of the compelling quarterfinal matchups on Friday’s stadium court lineup.
Etcheverry, Mmoh Prepare for Debut Tour Collision
In Friday’s first quarterfinal match of the day, No. 4 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina will take on American Michael Mmoh. Etcheverry, the 2023 U.S. Clay finalist, and Mmoh, a 2024 wildcard recipient, will meet for the first time in an ATP Tour level match.
Expect the American-Argentine pair to know each others’ games well, however. In 2022, they faced off twice in ATP Qualifying and Challenger draws, exchanging wins along the way. Mmoh defeated Etcheverry 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the ATP Challenger in Tallahassee on hard courts while Etcheverry edged Mmoh on outdoor clay in the second round of qualifying at Lyon, 7-6(6), 6-3.
Expect the No. 27-ranked Argentine, the higher ranked and more accomplished clay court player among the two, to be the favorite heading into Friday’s match. But Mmoh shouldn’t be taken lightly. After earning two of his three career clay court wins this week at River Oaks, the American is taking full advantage of his wildcard and will come into the quarterfinal beaming with confidence after eliminating No. 8 Max Purcell in the Round of 16.
Etcheverry and Mmoh will take the Stadium Court at noon on Friday.
Shelton, Nakashima Gear Up for U.S. “Next Gen” Battle
Houston fans attending Friday’s day session will be treated to an all-American quarterfinal matchup featuring two of our brightest and youngest stars. Top seed Ben Shelton (No. 17) and Brandon Nakashima (No. 92) are two of four American players ranked inside the Top 100 - along with Sebastian Korda (No. 27) and Alex Michelsen (No. 70).
It will mark the first of likely many career matchups between 21-year-old Shelton and 22-year-old Nakashima, who are both former collegiate tennis standouts at University of Florida and Virginia, respectively. A win this week in Houston would be extra sweet for Shelton - who looks to follow in his father Bryan’s footsteps to become the second family champion at River Oaks (The elder Shelton won here in 1992).
Nakashima’s path to the finals has been far more straightforward than Shelton’s. In his first two matches, he breezed through both opponents without dropping a set and posted a pair of identical scorelines, 6-1, 6-4. After receiving a first round bye, No. 1 seed Shelton overcame a slow start in his U.S. clay debut match to defeat Belgian Zizou Bergs 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Shelton and Nakashima are slated for the second match on Stadium Court not before 2 p.m.
Tiafoe, Thompson Continue U.S. vs. Aussie Clay Court Battle
Defending champion Tiafoe will meet 29-year-old Jordan Thompson in yet another American-Aussie clash under the lights to headline the Friday evening session.
Third seeded Tiafoe, who has struggled to find peak form during the first quarter of 2024, looks to replicate his 2023 Houston magic once again and claim his 4th ATP career title at US Clay. He will face a familiar opponent in 29-year-old Jordan Thompson, the 6th seed at US Clay who he hasn’t faced since 2019.
Their River Oaks quarterfinal affair will mark their first career clay court match. Tiafoe defeated Thompson 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on the hard courts at Acapulco while Thompson bested Tiafoe 6-3, 6-2 later in the 2029 season on the grass courts at s’-Hertogenbosch.
Thompson, who is entered in singles and doubles this week, will come in battle tested after breaking the record for longest match in recorded tournament history in his Round of 16 victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic 4-6, 7-6, 7-6. In 3 hours and 35 minutes.
Giron, Darderi Collide On Upward Trajectories
Friday’s quarterfinal between American Marcos Giron and Italian Luciano Darderi will mark the first career meeting between thirty-year-old Giron and 22-year-old Darderi. Both players, however, are in the midst of career breakout seasons in 2024.
Giron, ranked No. 51 and seeded 7th at River Oaks, has won nine of his 10 ATP match wins this year on U.S. soil. In addition to his two victories this week at Houston, he went 7-2 on American hard courts in February with a runner-up finish at the Dallas Open and semi-finals run at Delray Beach Open. Along the way, he knocked out a pair of then top 20 opponents including Adrian Mannarino (twice) and fellow American, Tiafoe.
Argentine-born Darderi, who represents Italy, is arguably the most in-form player in the Houston draw right now. With a 10-3 singles record in 2024, he owns the highest season win percentage (77%) of any player in the field and is only one of two players to have won a title already this year.
As a qualifier, he won seven straight matches to advance to the main draw and eventually win the title in Cordoba, Argentina. He comes into the quarterfinal matchup with additional momentum after ousting No. 2 seed Francisco Cerundolo over three sets in the Round of 16.
Giron and Darderi will square off in the final match of Friday’s day session on Stadium Court.
Doubles Semifinal Snapshot: Purcell, Thompson Eye Houston History
If Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson have looked unbeatable on the doubles court this week, it’s because they are. The No. 4 seeds - the only seeded team remaining in the draw - haven’t lost a doubles match at U.S. Clay throughout their career.
Last year’s defending champions have amassed a 6-0 lifetime record at River Oaks, while even more impressive, Purcell himself has a 10-0 doubles record here. In 2022, he won the doubles title with fellow Aussie and world No. 2 Matt Ebden.
A 2024 title defense would make Purcell/Thompson the first team to defend their trophy since Bob and Mike Bryan won in 2010-2011. Purcell, who jokingly considers doubles as “free money”, would break another Bryan Brothers record by becoming the first player to win the River Oaks “three-peat” since Bob and Mike in 2009-2011.
The Aussies will take on the in-form team of N. Sriram Balaji and Andre Begemann, who backed up their first round victory over No. 1 Krajicek/Ram with a quarterfinal rout of Arjun Kadhe and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan 6-0, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
The second semi-final features a matchup between Will Blumberg and John Peers versus the Brazilian team of Fernando Romboli and Marcelo Zormann.
Peers, 35, is a 2013 U.S. clay doubles champion who is making his first return to River Oaks since he won the title here 11 years ago. He is the most accomplished clay court tennis player in the field with eight career titles on the dirt (and 27 total). Blumberg, 26, is a three-time ATP 250 title winner and two-time ATP 250 finalist, all with five different doubles partners.
Although Romboli and Zormann will come into Friday’s semifinal as the underdog team, they have won 10 of their last 12 matches together including an ATP Challenger title in Santiago, Chile last month.
Peers and Blumberg will take on Romboli and Zormann on Court 3 at 4:30 p.m. while Purcell and Thompson will play Balaji and Begemann on the evening session on Stadium Court after suitable rest following the Tiafoe-Thompson singles match.
