No. 1 Sock advances in Delray Beach Open

[February 20, 2018]  Top-seeded Jack Sock came through in the big moments to defeat a qualifier in the first round of the Delray Beach (Fla.) Open on Monday.

Sock, an American ranked eighth in the world, got past John-Patrick Smith, an Aussie ranked 225th in the world, 6-4, 6-4 in 80 minutes.

The difference was the players' performance on break points. Sock saved all four break points he faced, and he converted his only two break opportunities, in the opening game of the match and at 4-4 in the second set.

The win was the first of the year for Sock, 25. He lost his opening match to Germany's Peter Gojowczyk at Auckland, New Zealand, last month and then fell to Japan's Yuichi Sugita in the first round of the Australian Open.

Smith, 29, appeared in his second ATP World Tour main-draw match of the year, having lost in the first round at Brisbane, Australia, after qualifying for the event.

In other first-round action Monday, eighth-seeded Hyeon Chung of South Korea worked hard to get past lucky loser Cameron Norrie of Great Britain 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

"It was a really tough match today because the wind was really strong," Chung said. "However, I tried to stay calm. The guy played really well at the baseline, so I was just trying to focus every point."

Chung was coming off a surprising run to the semifinals of the Australian Open, which he began ranked 58th in the world.

 

The Monday match was Chung's first since he was forced to retire in the second set of the Melbourne semis against eventual champion Roger Federer of Switzerland. He couldn't play through painful blisters on his left foot.

Chung said of his new-found fame, "I'm trying to enjoy it all the time, because it's my second time in Delray Beach. I'm already better than last year (when he fell in tournament's qualifying rounds)."

Two other Americans earned opening-round wins at Delray Beach. Donald Young needed just 68 minutes to rout India's Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-1, 6-2, while wild-card entrant Frances Tiafoe defeated Australia's Matthew Ebden 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.

The Tuesday schedule includes second-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina opposing France's Jeremy Chardy, and fourth-seeded Sam Querrey playing Taylor Fritz in a matchup of California natives. Sixth-seeded American John Isner will meet Moldova's Radu Albot, and ninth-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic will play against Japan's Taro Daniel.

--Field Level Media

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