ALL JACKED UP: SOCK STUNS CILIC AT U.S. OPEN, FELLOW AMERICANS ISNER AND HARRISON EXIT

Written by: Staff on 2nd September 2016

ALL JACKED UP: SOCK STUNS CILIC AT U.S. OPEN, FELLOW AMERICANS ISNER AND HARRISON EXIT |

Photo by 10sBalls

All Jacked up: Sock stuns Cilic at U.S. Open, fellow Americans Isner and Harrison exit

By Ricky Dimon

Babolat’s “Jack Sock for President” campaign may be hard to explain. But whatever it is, it’s working. In fact, the campaign took a giant step in the right direction on Friday at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where Sock became the first–and so far only–American to reach round four of the 2016 U.S. Open. He did so in improbable fashion, stunning 2009 champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in just 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 whole way, and broke Cilic on four occasions to unexpectedly dominate from start to finish.

A recent Davis Cup showdown may have given Sock the necessary belief. During quarterfinal action in Portland, Oregon, the American stormed back from two sets down to beat Cilic in five. This time around, there was no such slow start for Sock.

Jack Sock of the US hits a return to Marin Cilic of Croatia during their match on the fifth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2016. The US Open runs through September 11. EPA/PETER FOLEY

“I was able to piece it together today well and play a good match,” the 26th seed understated. “(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 start of third-round competition on Friday, John Isner may have been the only American representative of the host nation expected to go farther. But neither Isner nor Ryan Harrison are joining Sock in the fourth round. Isner suffered a surprising 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(5) loss to Kyle Edmund, while Harrison fell to Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-1.

Isner’s failure to capitalize on 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 lamented. “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.”

Harrison was playing in the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career and the moment turned out to be too much for him. As for Baghdatis, he ended a streak of eight consecutive losses in the last 32 at majors.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

John Isner of the US hits a return to Kyle Edmund of Great Britain during their match on the fifth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2016. The US Open runs through September 11. EPA/PETER FOLEY

Ryan Harrison of the US hits a return to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus during their match on the fifth day of the US Open Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2016. The US Open runs through September 11. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO

Topics: 10sballs.com, 2016 U.S. Open, American Tennis, Atp World Tour, jack sock, John Isner, Kyle Edmund, Marcos Baghdatis, Marin Cilic, Ricky Dimon, Ryan Harrison, Tennis News, US Open tennis

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loveyjergens says:

September 2, 2016 at 10:35 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: All Jacked Up: @JackSock Stuns Cilic At #USOpen, Fellow Americans @JohnIsner & Harrison Exit
https://t.co/OKIyesoYQU http…
JennySLedbetter says:

September 3, 2016 at 2:00 am

RT @TennisNewsOne: ALL JACKED UP: SOCK STUNS CILIC AT U.S. OPEN, FELLOW AMERICANS ISNER AND HARRISON EXIT https://t.co/ojnLeB9OHo #tennis