Steve Johnson and Thomaz Bellucci will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers when they battle for the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship title on Sunday afternoon. Their only previous encounter came last year at the Australian Open, where Johnson cruised 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Clay, of  course, should give Bellucci a much better chance. The 65th-ranked Brazilian owns 10 ATP-level match victories this season and nine have come on the red stuff. He punched his ticket to the Houston final by winning four consecutive three-setters over Frances Tiafoe, Maximo Gonzalez, Sam Querrey, and Ernesto Escobedo.
“It’s tough to play three sets every day,” Bellucci assured. “I didn’t have one day off. I hope to be better tomorrow.”
Johnson has quite simply been the best player all week. The fifth-seeded American ousted Kevin Anderson and Nicolas Kicker in straight sets, scored an impressive clay-court defeat of Fernando Verdasco via a 6-2, 6-4 quarterfinal blowout, and upset No. 1 seed and defending champion Jack Sock 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday. Johnson is 14-7 in 2017 with a semifinal showing in Auckland and three other quarterfinal performances.
“Any time you can play on a Sunday in a tournament, it’s a good week,” the world No. 29 commented. “It’s my first final on U.S. soil…. It’s fun to get a chance to try to win something on home soil.”
Johnson is 1-1 lifetime in ATP final, with his lone triumph coming last summer on the grass of Nottingham. Although clay is not his best surface, his kick serve and heavy forehand work well on it–and he is moving better and better on the slow stuff, too. It only helps that Bellucci has spent more than eight hours on the court this week.
Pick: Johnson in 3
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Steve Johnson is the definition of a badass. How did he win that match? Such a fighter. ??????