The two remaining Americans will be part of semifinal action in Houston on Saturday. Jack Sock is going up against Kevin Anderson and Sam Querrey is facing Fernando Verdasco.
(3) Kevin Anderson vs. Jack Sock
Apparently the surface is irrelevant in terms of Sock’s success this season. After returning from a hip injury that sidelined him from the first two months of the season, Sock took to the friendly confines of American hard courts and played stellar tennis in Indian Wells (fourth round) and Miami (third round). Remaining at home in the United States but moving to the clay courts of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, Sock is going full steam ahead. The world No. 46 is through to the semifinals following wins over Joao Souza, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Santiago Giraldo.
Next up for Sock on Saturday is a first-ever meeting with Anderson. Coming off a fourth-round appearance in Miami, the 16th-ranked South African has reached the last four in Houston the hard way. He scored a 6-7(4), 6-0, 6-3 comeback victory over Federico Delbonis before outlasting Jeremy Chardy 7-5, 6-7(6), 7-6(3) in three hours and eight minutes on Friday. Anderson–although he prefers hard–is more experienced than Sock on clay, but fewer than 24 hours of rest on the heels of a three-hour battle is not a recipe for success.
Pick: Sock in 3
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(8) Sam Querrey vs. (6) Fernando Verdasco
Verdasco and Querrey will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers on Saturday. Querrey leads the head-to-head series 3-1 having won three in a row at the Spaniard’s expense. But they have never faced each other on clay, they have not met since 2012, and their most recent encounter ended in a Verdasco retirement.
Speaking of retirements, both men got them in the first round–Verdasco against Paolo Lorenzi and Querrey from Marinko Matosevic. Thus began mostly routine treks toward the semifinals. Verdasco has not dropped a set, while Querrey surrendered one to Steve Johnson but promptly dominated the third 6-0. The former world No. 7 has to be feeling especially confident because he upset Rafael Nadal last month in Miami and is the defending champion of this Houston event.
Pick: Verdasco in 2
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