The 23-year-old, playing in his first major tournament after being handed a wildcard for the men’s doubles draw with Jonny O’Mara, benefitted from an injury-retirement in London after winning the opening set.
First round opponents Paolo Lorenzi and Adrian Mannarino – both ranked inside the world top 60 as singles players – forfeited the match at 4-3 in the second after Mannarino had received treatment on a shoulder problem.
Clayton and O’Mara, who claimed the first set on a tiebreak having twice come from a break down, are now penned in for a last-32 clash against the top seeds, Henri Kontinen and John Peers, or Italians Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi.
Reaction in Thursday’s JEP.