Draw for the ATP 250 tournament in Houston: Paul, Tiafoe, Nishikori, and Etcheverry are set, no French players directly in the main draw

After the conclusion of the Miami Masters 1000, the clay court season is set to begin with three ATP tournaments next week scheduled in Marrakech, Bucharest, and Houston. As the only American tournament played on clay on the men's main circuit, Houston will host its annual event in Texas next week.

On this occasion, the draw for the main draw was made overnight from Friday to Saturday. Seeded number 1, Tommy Paul will face Cristian Garin or Alexander Ritschard in the second round in his opener.

Last year's finalist and winner two years ago, Frances Tiafoe, seeded number 2, will start against his compatriot Michael Mmoh or Adam Walton, who recently reached the Round of 16 in Miami.

Kei Nishikori is also registered and will face a qualifier in his opening match, before a potential clash against the winner of the match between Rinky Hijikata and Christopher Eubanks.

Unfortunate finalist in 2023, Tomas Martin Etcheverry will challenge Aleksandar Kovacevic. Notable participants include Alejandro Tabilo, Brandon Nakashima, and Alex Michelsen, who will face a first-round challenge against Learner Tien.

No French players are directly qualified for the main draw, but Adrian Mannarino could advance from the qualifiers to join the main draw in the coming hours. He will face Naoki Nakagawa. A second French player, Corentin Denolly, is also present and will play against James Kent Trotter for a spot in the final round of the qualifiers.