Home favourite Steve Johnson managed to negotiate a particularly painful bout of cramps deep in the third set to win the Houston title with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 win over Thomaz Bellucci in sunny Texas.
The American, who had spoken of his delight in being able to play for a title on home soil for the first time won the first set before losing the second. Johnson went down a break in the third but broke back just before the cramps started. Bellucci looked the favourite in the tie break but looked tight with his opponent in obvious agony, and Johnson was able to win the title.
Things had started well for the Brazilian, breaking in Johnson’s first service game as the American struggled to deal with the sunny and windy conditions in the southern state. Johnson retrieved the break three games later, but failed to register above 50% first serve delivery for the duration of the set. Johnson was serving first though and was able to apply some scoreboard pressure when up 5-4. Bellucci hit his first two double-faults of the match back-to-back to hand the American two set points at 15-40, and Johnson duly converted the first when Bellucci framed a forehand.
Johnson was the player under pressure for much of the second set as Bellucci forced five break points. Johnson saved the first four, but was finally broken in the ninth game and Bellucci produced a comfortable hold to send the match to a decider.
Bellucci was looking to set a tournament record of winning all of his matches en route to the title in deciding sets since the tournament moved to the best-of-three set format. The clay expert got the third set off to the best possible start from his perspective, breaking an irate Johnson in the first game. Johnson loosened up and started making inroads on the Bellucci serve, breaking back in game nine.
Johnson held quickly for 5-4, but problems in the game became apparent as the American was failing to push off the ground as cramps attacked both his legs and his hands, his serve speed dropping noticeably. Johnson was served with a time violation warning at 40-30 at 5-5. With Johnson barely able to stand, Bellucci failed to make a second serve return and Johnson was able to receive medical treatment during the change of ends (since ATP rules do not allow interruptions for cramps as they are deemed a conditioning issue and not an injury.) Johnson has a history of being beset by cramps, having been forced to retire from a match at the 2014 US Open against Tatsuma Ito, despite leading by a set and a break at the time.
Bellucci quickly held, with four service winners as Johnson saved his energy for the tiebreak. Bellucci won the first point against the Johnson serve, but short returns from Johnson forced the Brazilian to the net and allowed Johnson to pass to lead by taking both points from Bellucci. Another pass gave Johnson the 4-2 lead as the players changed ends, and the American fought his way to 6-3 and match points. Bellucci looked tight and shaky, with a second serve barely rolling in and a smash that he played close to the sideline, but he asked Johnson the question.
Johnson then served down the tee, producing a good return from Bellucci that forced Johnson to run wide. Johnson rolled the dice on a forehand up the line, and it went in, sealing Johnson’s first title of the year, his first on clay and on home soil in the United States, and his second overall after taking his first on the grass of Nottingham last year.
