Cristian Garin

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Barty]

Garin Defending Champ: Garin of Chile has had to wait three years to defend his title, but he will try to capture his second Houston crown this week. The five-time ATP Tour titlist, who will begin his tournament against Sock, has earned all of his tour-level trophies on clay. He will hope to gain momentum after a 3-7 start to the season.

Garin's countryman, Alejandro Tabilo, reached his maiden tour-level final at the Cordoba Open before upsetting Garin on his way to the semi-finals at the pair’s home tournament in Santiago. Tabilo is now in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings for the first time and a potential second-round meeting with Fritz could provide some early fireworks in Texas.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/houston ... ing-report

[Damian]

[Damian]

The Houston evening opener nearly saw defending champion Cristian Garin make an early exit, but the fifth seed battled back from a double break down in the third set to edge Jack Sock, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Trailing 1-4 in the decider, the Chilean won four straight games to get back in the match.

From 4-all, three love holds left Garin ahead 6-5, and he managed his third break of the set to seal the victory. The World No. 29 was effective on his first serve throughout, winning 79 per cent (38/48) of those points in the contest, but struggled his second delivery with six double faults.

After snapping his five-match losing streak, Garin will next face Australia's Jordan Thompson, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Canada's Steven Diaz earlier on Tuesday.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/kyrgios ... 22-tuesday

[Kamileki]

[Barty]

[Kamileki]

[Barty]

[robpal]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Earlier in Houston, a pair of seeded players fought back from a set down to advance. Defending champion Cristian Garin — Fritz's quarter-final opponent — shook off a slow start to defeat Australia's Jordan Thompson, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Entering the event on a five-match losing streak, the fifth seed has now come from behind in back-to-back matches on the red clay.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/fritz-h ... 2-thursday

[Kamileki]

[Kamileki]

[Barty]

[Barty]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Garin defeated Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, on his fifth match point, as he begins to find form for the first time on the 2022 season. He entered Houston with a 3-7 record, and has now doubled his win total by reaching the semi-finals with a trio of three-set victories.

His win over Fritz was the first in which he didn't have to come back from a set down, though the American fought back from a break down twice in the second set to make Garin earn the victory. After the Chilean took control with a 5-0 lead in the third set, Fritz saved three match points to close to 3-5, then created three break points before Garin ultimately succeeded in his second attempt to serve it out.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/opelka- ... 022-friday

[Damian]

[Damian]