Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton achieve career firsts at US Men’s Clay Court Championship

It is a winning weekend for Americans in US-based clay court tennis tournaments with Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton at the heart of it on Easter Sunday at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.

Paul won his first ATP clay court title in a thrilling three set match where he saved three match points. Houston is significant for him because it is the tournament where he earned his first ATP match win in 2016.

This is the fifth career ATP title for the 28 year old. Paul continues the winning ways for American men at this tournament. Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, and Jenson Brooksby are past champions.

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Shelton wins first ATP doubles title

Shelton may have been knocked out of singles early, but his maiden doubles win with former Florida Gator teammate Andres Andrade was very special.

The pair celebrated by jumping off the diving board into the pool with the ball kids looking on.

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Do Paul and Shelton’s clay court wins bode well for Americans in European tournaments?

After the celebrations, the big question is if these wins can be a vaulting point for American men in the European clay court swing.

Historically, Houston is an American stronghold, but European tournaments are a struggle.

One of these days an American man is going to break the Grand Slam drought. Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003. Many expect that it will happen on the hardcourts of Australia or New York, but wouldn’t it be something if an American man could surprise the world and win the French Open?