Houston 2022: Jenson Brooksby vs J.J. Wolf preview, head-to-head & prediction | U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships
Match details
Fixture: (8) Jenson Brooksby vs J.J. Wolf
Date: 4 April 2022
Tournament: U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships 2022
Round: First round (Round of 32)
Venue: Houston, Texas, USA
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Clay
Prize money: $665,330
Live telecast: USA - ESPN 3 | UK - Amazon Prime
Jenson Brooksby vs J.J. Wolf preview
Americans Jenson Brooksby and J.J. Wolf will face off in the first round of the 2022 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships on Monday.
21-year-old Brooksby has made rapid progress this year, leaving a big impression on the men's tour. He started the season by reaching the final of the Dallas Open, losing to Reilly Opelka in two tight sets. At the Mexican Open, the American gave it his all but fell short of upsetting Alexander Zverev in the first round, going down in three hard-fought sets.
Brooksby then made consecutive fourth-round appearances at the Indian Wells and Miami Masters. He defeated players like World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and Karen Khachanov at Indian Wells before losing to Cameron Norrie in straight sets. He got the better of Federico Coria, Roberto Bautista Agut and Nikoloz Basilashvili in Miami before losing to Daniil Medvedev.
Brooksby's experience on clay is rather limited. He won a Challenger event on the surface in 2021 and later lost in the first round at Roland Garros after coming through qualifying.
“It’s my favorite tournament, it’s the one I always watched when I was a kid” 🎤
The victories this week are extra special for Jenson Brooksby 😊
#IndianWells https://t.co/7gZ2FV4zun
J.J. Wolf was ranked outside the top 200 at the start of the year, but has steadily climbed up the rankings with some decent results. After losing in the qualifying rounds of his first three tournaments this year, he booked a main draw spot at the Mexican Open.
Wolf then upset Lorenzo Sonego in the first round before losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-1, 6-0 in the next round. He lost in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters as well.
M A D N E S S 🤯
J.J. Wolf with one of the best shots you'll EVER see!
#MiamiOpen https://t.co/NVt8tabvA1
At the Miami Masters, the American came through qualifying before defeating Daniel Altmaier in the first round. With the win, Wolf set up a rematch against Tsitsipas. The match wasn't one-sided this time and he put up quite a fight before going down 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1.
Wolf lost the only match he has played on clay so far, in the first round of qualifying at the 2020 French Open.
Jenson Brooksby vs J.J. Wolf head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Jenson Brooksby vs J.J. Wolf prediction
Based on their results this year, Brooksby will be the firm favorite to win heading into this contest. While the 21-year-old has tasted a tiny bit of success on clay in the form of a Challenger level title, Wolf's lack of experience on the surface leaves him at a huge disadvantage. He'll not only have to contend with a higher-ranked opponent, but will also have to figure out a way to deal with the surface.
Brooksby's unorthodox playing style has left many players puzzled. The American relies on his movement and hits his groundstrokes in a variety of ways to win points. He also uses a clever double-handed slice to disguise shots.
An area of concern is his serve. It's a work in progress and can be exploited by strong returners. Wolf will have to captialize on any missteps by Brooskby in this regard if he wants a shot at victory. He's clearly the underdog here and that will allow him to play with a certain degree of freedom.
All of Brooksby's losses at the ATP level this year have been against top-20 players. Unless he has a really bad day at the office, it's unlikely that Wolf will pull off an upset here.
Prediction: Jenson Brooksby to win in straight sets.