By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday April 4, 2023

American Marcos Giron picked up his first win at the US Men’s Claycourt Championships in Houston, and moved a step closer to his fourth quarterfinal of 2023 as he hammered past his former college rival Emilio Gomez, 6-0, 6-2 in 63 minutes on Tuesday at the River Oaks Country Club.



69th ranked Giron, the No.7 seed, improves to 9-8 on the season and sets a second-round clash with Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic.

Machac knocked off 2015 champion Jack Sock 6-2, 6-4.

First round winners 💪

🇺🇸 Wolf def. Thompson 6-3, 6-2
🇩🇪 Hanfmann def. Watanuki 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
🇨🇱 Garin def. Dellien 6-3, 6-0
🇦🇷 Etcheverry def. Cerundolo 6-3, 6-4
🇺🇸 Giron def. Gomez 6-0, 6-2
🇨🇿 Machac def. Sock 6-2, 6-4#USClay

— Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Clay (@mensclaycourt) April 5, 2023

Another former champion, Chile’s Cristian Garin, was successful on Tuesday. The 2019 champion improved to 9-1 lifetime at Houston with a 6-3, 6-0 drubbing of Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien.

Elsewhere, fifth-seeded American JJ Wolf eased past Australia’s Jordan Thompson, 6-3, 6-2, dropping only 11 points on serve to set a round two showdown with fellow American Denis Kudla.

Action continues on the red clay on Wednesday as top-seeded Frances Tiafoe faces American wild card Steve Johnson while No.4-seeded John Isner takes on Gijs Brouwer. 2013 champion Isner reached the final last year, falling to Reilly Opelka on championship Sunday.

Tiafoe reached his first quarterfinal at Houston last year, falling to Isner.