By Erik Gudris | Monday, April 14, 2014

 

Monte-Carlo kicks off the clay swing in Europe but there won't be any Americans there. Should we expect more from U.S. men who continue to struggle with results on the dirt?

Photo Credit: AP

Like the arrival of spring, the Monte-Carlo Masters signals the start of the clay court season. Every April, many of the world's best gather at the picturesque courts overlooking the Mediterranean Sea to get their shoes dirty on red clay for the first time. This year is even extra special as former finalist Roger Federer, who hasn't played there since 2011, took a last-minute wildcard into this year's event.

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Noticeably absent will be the Americans. Not a single player from the U.S. is entered in the main singles draw. While Monte-Carlo is not a mandatory ATP 1000 event, it does seem odd that no one from the U.S. will at least try to get something going this week.

Or is it?

In many ways, the clay court stretch for the last decade or more is when American men simply disappear. Well, that's not entirely true. We do see them flash before our eyes here and there in the lead-up tournaments before Roland Garros. A short run through a few rounds is what many expect of the U.S. guys before they fall to either the likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or even one of the myriad of top 100 pros who are just more adept on the dirt.

Sometimes brief moments of glory do happen. Like when Sam Querrey won the now defunct Serbia Open a few years ago or when Brian Baker, during his feel good comeback in 2012, reached the Nice finals. And let's not forget Robby Ginepri, who came out of nowhere to reach the fourth round of Paris in 2010, an effort that still remains as the best result for an American player in some time at that major. But other than that, it just feels like the Americans, despite their best efforts, are just sliding around the continent, biding their time, before making a much welcomed trip over to England and the grass courts.

The ongoing argument, or excuse, is that American players prefer faster surfaces. Well, guess what? The clay courts in Europe are just that. Madrid's altitude helps big servers, Rome's courts play quick, and even Paris, when conditions are right, plays like a hard court according to some players. In fact, the unofficial consensus is that Roland Garros is actually the fastest of all the majors. But that's a debate to chew over for another time.

U.S. No. 1 John Isner is often touted as the only guy with any reasonable chance of making an impact on clay. Though he's definitely proven himself on the surface, Isner still has not had that breakthrough result in Europe. One wonders if Isner perhaps has succumbed to the mindset, like many in the States have, that American guys aren't expected to do anything on the dirt overseas.

With no expectations to do anything of note, it gives them an easy out if they lose early. "I tried my best but I'm just not ready for the clay," will likely be an oft-repeated refrain for the Americans in the next few months. Perhaps only when an American decides to ignore recent history, past results, and the current lack of expectations will we see one of them become a legitimate contender for a big title, and not just claim a few wins in the early rounds.

In 1999, Andre Agassi came back from two sets down to win his first and only French Open title, completing a rare career Grand Slam. While Agassi's achievement will likely be part of an upcoming 15-year retrospective, will American tennis fans have to wait another 15 years to celebrate another homegrown champion in Paris? Why should the current crop of talent always stagger when their feet land on European soil? Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but what if one American this season somehow finds a way to pull off a staggering success on clay, like Agassi did all those years ago, when we least expect it? That would be a very pleasant spring surprise indeed.