HOUSTON — Qualifier Jenson Brooksby earned his first ATP Tour title Sunday by beating Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship.
Brooksby, a 24-year-old from California, saved five match points during the tournament, including one in his semifinal victory over top-seeded Tommy Paul. Brooksby eliminated the three highest-seeded men in the field, including No. 2 Tiafoe and No. 3 Alejandro Tabilo.
Ranked outside the top 500 entering the event in Houston, Brooksby is expected to climb inside the top 175 in Monday's ATP rankings. He is the first American man to win an ATP singles trophy this season and the first qualifier to win this tournament since Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in 2000.
Brooksby returned to the tour at the Australian Open in January after a two-year absence that included a pair of wrist operations, a shoulder injury, a coaching change and a suspension related to missed doping tests.
He spoke to The Associated Press in December about being diagnosed as autistic as a child, the first time he had discussed the subject publicly.
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