Ryan Sweeting won his first ATP Tour title by beating Kei Nishikori in the US Clay Court Championships final.

The 23-year-old American wild card saw off the Japanese sixth seed 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in Houston. Sweeting, trailing 5-4 in the second set, had to overcome three set points on his own serve before holding on a lob error by Nishikori. In the tie-break, he double-faulted to make it 3-3 but two errors by Nishikori saw him close in on victory. A forehand volley winner by the brought the contest to match point and it ended when a Nishikori forehand skipped wide. Sweeting’s win capped a fine week’s work which also saw him defeat second seeded compatriot Sam Querrey and former champion Ivo Karlovic. He is the first wild card to reach the Houston final since Mardy Fish won in 2006 and the fifth first-time winner on the ATP Tour this year. Sweeting fell to the ground in jubilation and fatigue after a hard-fought second set and later took a victory dive into the pool at the Oaks Country Club.

“I needed a little help to get in. I want to thank [the organisers] for the opportunity, and for giving me the wild card,” he said. “It was a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to coming back and defending the title next year.”

Sweeting will move up to a career-best world ranking of 71st after his win.

 

Sweeting and Nishikori reach the Houston semifinals.

Ryan Sweeting reached his first ATP World Tour semi-final after he defeated Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 in one hour and 41 minutes. World No. 93 Sweeting, who dropped one point on serve in the deciding set, converted five of seven break point opportunities overall to improve to an 8-6 match record on the season.

Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas advanced to his first semi-final since Moscow last October when he won his first meeting with doubles partner, Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 1-6, 7-6(4), 6-3. Former World No. 14 Cuevas has slipped to No. 75 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings. He next plays Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori, a surprise 6-3, 6-2 winner over top-seeded American Mardy Fish. Fish, who won his lone ATP World Tour clay court title in Houston in 2006, hit just one ace and did not earn a break point on Nishikori’s serve. At No. 11 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, Fish would have broken into the Top 10 for the first time in his career had he won a second Houston title. Nishikori was appearing in his first ATP World Tour quarter-final on clay.

“He didn’t give me too much and seemed pretty comfortable with his backhand,” Fish said. “I struggle at night; sometimes I feel I can’t necessarily do some of the things I want to do because I don’t have that split second to pick the ball up earlier than I normally do. I love to stay more agressive; standing 15-20 feet behind the baseline trying to stay in the points is not my game. [But tonight] that was strategic as I thought that was the best way to have a good clean hit on the ball… he seemd to enjoy that. On missing the chance to break into the Top 10, Fish said, “It’s disappointing, especially at a place like Houston where I have great memories. It would have been a nice place to do it, especially in the States. And being the No. 1 American is a responsibility each time you step on the court.”

 

Ryan Sweeting upsets Sam Querrey 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals.

Ryan Sweeting upset US third seed Sam Querrey 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the $442,500 ATP Delray Beach International Championships. Sweeting on Wednesday won six of the last seven points, denying Querrey’s fightback bid in the final game. Sweeting fell behind 0-40 but saved three break points, then rescued another with a second-serve ace before winning on his only match point. “I feel like I’m playing good tennis,” Sweeting said. “I’m one of the Americans consistently moving up, maybe not at a fast rate, but it’s going in the right direction.”

Sweeting, ranked 118th, advanced to a Friday date against Japan’s 66th-ranked Kei Nishikori who breezed past American wild card James Blake 6-3, 6-4. Nishikori’s only ATP crown came at Delray Beach in 2008.

French eighth seed Adrian Mannarino advanced to the second round by rallying to defeat Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4. Mannarino will next face Colombian qualifier Alejandro Falla and could meet US second seed Mardy Fish in the quarter-finals. Fish is the highest-ranked player in the field after US top seed Andy Roddick withdrew due to illness.

In the night match, sixth seeded Janko Tipsarevic outlasted Blaz Kavcic 6-2, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3.