The Hall of Fame Open was Jack Sock’s first main-tour tournament of 2021. A trip to the semifinals would have been an unexpected development even at the ATP 250 level, but he certainly won’t be disappointed with a quarterfinal result.
Following victories over Alex Bolt and Yoshihito Nishioka, Sock lost to two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday afternoon. Anderson stuck 20 aces and dropped serve only once while prevailing in two hours and 36 minutes.
“I was up against a really, really good player,” the 6’7” South African said. “Jack has had a couple of tough years, but his level is way above his ranking. I really had to dig deep, it was a very physical match and conditions were much warmer today. I thought I did a good job, battling hard and fighting for every point. Fortunately I was able to figure out a way to come through in the end.”
Down at No. 231 in the world due to inactivity, Sock obviously needed a wild card to get into Newport. It was announced on Thursday that he also has one into the upcoming 250 tournament in Atlanta. The 28-year-old American, who has been a frequent participant at the Truist Atlanta Open, also accepted a doubles wild card to team up with Nick Kyrgios.
“Hey, Atlanta tennis fans, it’s Jack Sock here,” he said in a video posted on Instagram. “I’m super excited to be coming back. This is where I first started playing when I was young (on the tour) and I’m super stoked to be playing singles there–and to be teaming up with Nick Kyrgios in doubles.”
Sock added on Instagram: “ATL!!! I’m coming back! Thank you for the singles wc! Also, y’all are gonna want to get tickets for some Kyrgios/Sock doubles👀😜 …. It’s gonna be a show, that’s for sure😂 🥳🤩”.
“Can’t wait brother,” Kyrgios responded with his own Instagram post.
Meanwhile, Anderson is through to a semifinal showdown in Newport with Alexander Bublik. The top-seeded Bublik took care of Jason Jung 6-2, 6-4 earlier on Thursday.
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