Babolat’s “Jack Sock for President” campaign took a step in the right direction on Friday. In fact, it took a giant step.
Sock became the first–and so far only–American to reach the fourth round of the 2016 U.S. Open when he stunned 2009 champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in a mere one hour and 41 minutes. The world No. 27 won 86 percent of his first-serve points, did not face a single break point the entire way, and broke Cilic four times to unexpectedly dominate.
“I was able to piece it together today well and play a good match,” Sock assessed. “(I’m) always happy to get through [each] round, but definitely the hunger and excitement is that much and more (at this stage of the tournament). I think every round you make you want to keep going and keep playing good tennis, especially in front of your home fans here.
“(There’s) not really a better feeling through the year than being an American at this tournament. So, yeah, obviously I want to keep playing and go as far as I can go.”
Prior to the beginning of third-round action, John Isner may have been the only American expected go further. But neither Isner nor Ryan Harrison are joining Sock in the last 16. Isner was upset 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(5) by Kyle Edmund, while Harrison went down to Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-1.
Isner’s failure to convert break points–one for seven, to be exact–proved to be his undoing.
“I think the match swung a bit in the first game of the third set when I had love-40,” he reflected. “I played three really good points to get to love-40, and then kind of [wore] myself out trying to finish that game off. I didn’t break, and then the next game I didn’t make any first serves and got broken. That was a bit disappointing. But it was just a struggle out there a little bit. Kind of the whole tournament; nothing really felt great the whole tournament.
“But credit to Kyle. I thought he played well; certainly played better than I did in the big moments, so hats off to him.”
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