Fifth seed Fernando Verdasco remained perfect on clay against Kevin Anderson on Wednesday, edging the South African 7-6(4), 7-6(4) to move into the second round of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.

After taking the first set tie-break, the Spaniard was broken to start the second set but broke right back to even the set at 1-1. Verdasco would win the final two points of the second set tie-break to finish the one-hour and 57-minute contest. The 33-year-old left-hander now leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 3-2, having won their previous match-ups on clay in 2011 (Estoril) and 2012 (Barcelona).

Anderson, though, had won their past two contests, at the 2013 Australian Open and 2016 Nottingham. Verdasco, who won the Houston title in 2014, will meet Argentine Nicolas Kicker in the second round. “It was a really complicated, tough first round,” Verdasco said. “He has one of the best serves on tour. Even if he’s on clay he’s super tough to return… I feel lucky that I’ve been able to win both tie-breaks.”

Verdasco’s countryman Feliciano Lopez hit 14 aces in a 7-5, 6-4 victory against American wild card Bjorn Fratangelo. Lopez, the sixth seed, will face #NextGenATP player Hyeon Chung of South Korea in the second round. The 20-year-old Chung grinded out a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win against three-time Quito champion Victor Estrella Burgos, who was going for his first Houston win in his third attempt.

Eighth seed Thomaz Bellucci made a successful Houston debut, outlasting #NextGenATP player Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 1-6, 6-2. The Brazilian broke the 19 year old three times in the decider. “I couldn’t play much better in the third set,” Bellucci said.

The left-hander will meet Argentine wild card Maximo Gonzalez, who prevailed past #NextGenATP American Jared Donaldson 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. Donaldson’s countryman 20-year-old Ernesto Escobedo was more fortunate: The #NextGenATP player earned his first ATP World Tour win on clay by beating compatriot Tennys Sandgren 6-3, 6-3.

“I feel comfortable on the surface. I’ve been practising a lot on clay recently because I feel like with my game style I could do pretty good on the clay, just because I play super aggressive with a lot of spin. So I just have to adapt to it,” said Escobedo, who received a wild card into the main draw. “It’s an awesome opportunity for me here. It’s a great chance for me to do well at an ATP [World Tour] tournament.”

Read More: First Time With American Sock

#NextGenATP player Borna Coric ended the run of local favourite Reda El Amrani on Wednesday, beating the Moroccan wild card 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(5) at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech.

Coric, a finalist last year, saved eight of 11 break points and broke El Amrani four times in the two-hour and 42-minute victory. The 28-year-old El Amrani, No. 667 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, had reached the Marrakech quarter-finals in 2010 and was going for his second ATP World Tour win of the season. The right-hander advanced to the second round when defending champion Federico Delbonis of Argentina retired because of a left leg injury down 6-7(3), 0-1.

Coric will meet second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the last eight. The Spaniard also needed three sets to avoid an upset, eliminating Serbian qualifier Laslo Djere 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 in two hours and 27 minutes. Ramos-Vinolas won 70 per cent of his first-serve points and didn’t face a break point in the third set. The left-hander won his only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Coric, at the Australian Open last year.

In first-round action, sixth seed Benoit Paire was blanked in the first set tie-break but came back to beat Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-7(0), 6-3, 6-2. Fifth seed Paolo Lorenzi broke Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez three times to advance 7-6(4), 7-5.

In doubles, top seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram didn’t face a break point and won 88 per cent of their service points (53/60) to advance past Spaniards David Marrero and Tommy Robredo 7-6(4), 7-5 in one hour and 16 minutes.

Read More: First Time With #NextGenATP Escobedo

Ahead of his first match as the top seed at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, the 2015 Houston champion reveals his first memorable moment on the ATP World Tour and the first time he flew business class.

First moment I realised I loved tennis
Pretty much as soon as I started playing at eight years old. My parents said I was obsessed with it right from the beginning.

First tournament I played
I was nine years old. I grew up in Lincoln (Nebraska), but was playing in Kansas City at a place called The Plaza. I was pretty horrible [smiles], but thought I’d try it just to see how I could do.

First coach and most important lesson he/she taught me
My very first coach in Lincoln was a guy named Magnus Grahn. He taught me a very good backhand, which a lot of people wouldn’t believe today! It was my best shot until I got to my older teens and met my first long-term coach, Mike Wolf, who still helps me in Kansas City to this day. He taught me my forehand grip and changed it over.

First pinch-me moment on the ATP World Tour
Probably playing Andy Roddick at the US Open in 2011. It was Friday night, my first time in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and my first televised match on ESPN. Playing a guy that I grew up watching and kind of idolising was a pretty cool moment.

First pet
We had a couple of samoyed dogs growing up. Big, white ones.

First time I flew business class
The first one I remember internationally, where it really matters [smiles], was my second time going to Australia. I flew there on coach the first time and it was a little rough, but after that, I saw it as a financial investment. It was worth it, for sure.

First concert
It was in 2013. I didn’t really go to a lot of concerts growing up, but saw my first two in one week. I saw John Legend at the Nokia Theatre, and then two nights later saw Beyonce and Jay Z at the Staples Center.

As they battle to secure their place in Milan at the end of the year, the #NextGenATP stars have been lighting it up on the ATP World Tour and ATP Challenger Tour with an array of hot shots.

ATPWorldTour.com has chosen the best five and now it’s up to you, the fans, to decide which is the best hot shot from a #NextGenATP player in the first quarter of the season.

Click through to watch the Top 5 and cast your vote!

Tickets to the Next Gen ATP Finals go on sale Friday, 14 April.

Follow the Next Gen ATP Finals on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

It’s not unfamiliar to see players take a few years to find their footing on the ATP World Tour, but Nicholas Monroe recently achieved a career milestone at age 34.

The American, who celebrates his 35^th birthday this week at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final this year in Miami. Paired with Jack Sock, they defeated several top teams en route to the championship match, including top seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers, and Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.

“Jack is probably the best doubles player in the world right now, in my opinion, so that was always going to be a lot of fun. We gel well with each other and have done our last two pre-seasons together in Kansas City. I went to high school there and my dad used to work at the same tennis academy as his old coach, Mike Wolf,” said Monroe. “We have that Midwest connection even though I’m 10 years older than him. He’s like my little brother out there, so we have a good time together.”

Monroe turned pro in 2004 after an outstanding college career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He spent several years competing mainly in Futures events and the ATP Challenger Tour before turning his attention to doubles in his 30s. He immediately began reaping the rewards, winning his first ATP World Tour doubles in Bastad in 2013 (w/Stadler) and becoming a regular fixture in the world’s biggest events.

“After about eight years, I reached about No. 250 [in the Emirates ATP Rankings] in singles and had always done pretty well in doubles, so I decided to focus solely on that about four years ago. I was lucky to start out with a great partner in Simon Stadler and then went from there,” said Monroe. “It was like a dream come true to play those [ATP World Tour] Masters 1000 events and Grand Slams that you grow up watching and after having a couple of wins in them, you feel like you belong.”

For a player whose exposure to clay as a junior was admittedly limited, he’s ultimately excelled on it and captured two of his three ATP World Tour doubles titles on the red dirt. But Monroe said his success on clay came due to being forced to learn how to love it.

“I didn’t play on clay very much growing up. We have green clay in the U.S., but on red clay, I didn’t really know what to do at first. But when I started playing with Stadler, he solely wanted to play on clay, so I had to start getting used to it,” said Monroe. “Eventually I stopped overthinking the movement on the surface, started focusing more on our game plan out there and ended up having fun on it.”

Largely due to his success in the first quarter of 2017, which also includes three semi-final finishes in Chennai, Auckland and Quito (all w/Sitak), Monroe is currently at a career-high Emirates ATP Doubles Ranking of No. 39. As he moves into a part of the season he’s enjoyed success in before, the American said his goals remain even loftier.

“I still want to be Top 10 and win a Grand Slam. I’m 34, but you see guys who are still pushing for Grand Slams in their late 30s and even in their 40s, so I feel like I still have plenty of time,” said Monroe. “As long as I can stay healthy and able to keep working hard, that’s what I’m going to keep pushing for.”

Tuesday play at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston was a washout, with all 13 first-round singles and doubles matches canceled before taking the court.

All remaining first-round singles matches will be completed on Wednesday. Among those on the schedule are fifth seed Fernando Verdasco taking on Kevin Anderson and sixth seed Feliciano Lopez squaring off against Bjorn Fratangelo. #NextGenATP players Hyeon Chung, Ernesto Escobedo and Jared Donaldson will also be in action.

Last year’s finalist Borna Coric earned a confidence boosting 6-3, 6-2 victory over seventh seed Diego Schwartzman on Tuesday at the Grand Prix Hassan II. The #NextGenATP player is appearing at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament on the back of a third-round run at the Miami Open presented by Itau (d. Thiem, l. to Mannarino).

Coric’s next opponent will be wild card Reda El Amrani. The home hope advanced to the second round when defending champion Federico Delbonis retired due to a left leg injury with the Moroccan leading 7-6(3), 1-0 after 66 minutes of play.

World No. 946 and 19-year-old wild card Amine Ahouda held his nerve to knock out eighth seed Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 38 minutes. Granollers, who will turn 31 on Wednesday, lost to fellow Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the 2014 final.

“This was a very good match for me,” said Ahouda. “I felt confident after Davis Cup. Granollers is a great player and this victory means a lot to me. I’m living my dream and want to continue playing well. This is a great victory, but I want to keep going match by match. Hopefully I can continue as I love playing in front of the Moroccan crowd.”

Qualifier Gianluigi Quinzi advanced to the second round with an 7-6(8), 6-3 win over Paul-Henri Mathieu. The Italian awaits the winner of the match between fifth seed Paolo Lorenzi and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Top Seed Dimitrov Ready for Robredo Start

Grigor Dimitrov, the No. 1 seed in Marrakech, will face Tommy Robredo in the second round when he begins his campaign in the Moroccan city.

“I’ve been here for a few days and I got a chance to see the dromedaries and go for a walk around the city,” the Bulgarian told media during a press conference on Tuesday. “I’m happy to be back in competition and looking forward to my first match on Thursday. I’m facing a tough opponent and the first match of the clay season is always a tricky one.”

It’s the exciting new showcase of great, young talent on the ATP World Tour and here is your chance to be a part of it. Beginning Monday, you can purchase tickets for the #NextGenATP Finals in Milan.

The tournament, to take place 7-11 November, will feature the world’s top eight 21-and-under singles players. #NextGenATP star Alexander Zverev is currently leading the season-long Emirates ATP Race To Milan, which will track the progress of #NextGenATP players throughout the year. The top seven players in the race will qualify automatically, while the eighth spot will be reserved for a wild card.

See Who’s Pushing Zverev In The Emirates ATP Race To Milan Standings

Zverev has started strong this season. The 6’6” right-hander reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final last month at the Miami Open presented by Itau. En route, the 19-year-old German knocked off World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka to improve to 2-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry.

Earlier this season, in February, Zverev beat Richard Gasquet at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier to take his second ATP World Tour title.

Just behind Zverev, at No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan standings, is an exciting new face on the ATP World Tour, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev. The 21 year old celebrated his first ATP World Tour final in January at the Aircel Chennai Open before falling to then-No. 14 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain. The Moscow native then reached back-to-back quarter-finals in Montpellier and Marseille.

At No. 3 in the race is 18-year-old Norwegian Casper Ruud, who reached his first ATP World Tour semi-final in February at the Rio Open presented by Claro. Russian 19-year-old Andrey Rublev and two Americans, 20-year-old Jared Donaldson and 19-year-old Taylor Fritz, who received the Emirates ATP Star Of Tomorrow last season, round out the top six.

In addition to great tennis, the #NextGenATP Finals will feature an exciting new dimension for fans. The tournament will trial a number of innovations with a view of ensuring continued growth in the popularity of men’s professional tennis.

The event will award US$1.275 million in prize money, and will follow a similar format to the ATP Finals, with a round-robin group stage followed by knock-out semi-finals and a final. While Emirates ATP Rankings points will serve as the criteria for entry, the tournament itself will not carry points.