Tennis Prose




Feb/23

10

Fritz vs Sock Dallas Match Analysis

It’s a second round of an ATP 250 in Dallas but it’s a critical match for Jack Sock to re-establish himself as an elite player. And to have something to show for all the hard work he did in the off season and the last few years. Sock is super fit now, his waist line has never been trimmer, he looks great. Sock is eager – or desperate – to return to ATP prominence and relevance – he’s been stuck outside the top 100 since 2018.

Taylor Fritz is at his best now, 8 in the world with aspirations and belief that he can win Grand Slams and maybe even reach no. 1. It’s a big challenge for Sock, especially since he’s lost the last three times he’s played Fritz.

The match begins with both holding serve and in fine form. In the second half of the first set Sock loses the first point on serve and has to save a few break points, which he does, to force a tiebreaker. The tone of the match shows Fritz to have the easier power and moving a little better. Sock misfires several wide forehands which suggest he may have lost a half step of speed at age 30. His backhand is also still a neutral shot. It’s a tight set but Fritz looks in control and a Sock backhand long by an inch gives Fritz the 76 advantage.

Fritz breaks Sock quickly in the second set and continues to maintain his slightly superior level. His movement, serve, forehand and backhand all are just a little better than Sock’s.

It’s not easy but Fritz prevails 76 64. For Sock, it’s another close-but-no-cigar loss to another ATP elite. As he walks to the net to shake hands Sock shakes his head to himself, as if telling himself, “Nope, again you were right there but when it really really mattered you blew it. Again.”

Fritz was very reserved and respectful of his struggling, older compatriot, with a stoic, muted celebration of a glancing head bowed look at his coach Mike Russell and his girlfriend, while taking off his Nike headband. Sock shook hands with sportsmanship and a little more warmth than the cold quick handshake after the 61 64 loss to Fritz exactly a year ago in Dallas.

For Sock it’s another failure to take advantage of a big opportunity. To beat Fritz sends a message to the ATP jungle that the old lion is back. To beat Fritz implants the self belief again inside Sock’s psyche, that he can slay any dragon. But this loss is another shovel of dirt on the aura of a former superstar who has lost his sizzle and can’t find it despite all the hard work, training and efforts, the new Yonex racquet and Yonex footware. Sock just can’t seem to revive his stagnated career. Five years in the wilderness. Another wasted wildcard.

Could it be another Mark Philippoussis story, of a young stud squandering his best years with a careless, casual, nonchalant work ethic and attitude? And then when he finally focused 100 percent seriously on trying to get the best out of himself, it was too late. Sock has been locked outside the top 100 for five years and he’s gone through three coaches – Alex Bogomolov, Robby Ginepri and now Nick Monroe. Same results.

The forehand, the serve, those volleys are all still there. The desire and fitness level are there. But for some reason the big results are not happening.

Sock will probably get another wildcard into Delray Beach, Indian Wells and Miami and get more of these opportunities to prove that his best days are not in the distant past

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2 comments

  • Bill McGill · February 10, 2023 at 2:19 pm

    Sock is so resistant to embracing his future. It’s time he took up the mantle of being the best doubles player in the world. There’s more money in it than doing what he is doing right now. I suspect he is also being unrealistic about how good he was when at his best. His Paris victory, which got him into the top 10 for the first time and the opportunity to pick up a couple of RR wins at the tour finals, was one of the least impressive Masters 1000 wins of the last 20 years.

    With a serve and +1 forehand as good as Sock’s, you are always a threat to a player having an off day. But he isn’t going to make it back to top 30, nevertheless 10. The smart career move here is to focus on adding to his career doubles stats. He has two slams, 4 Masters 1000s and a Tour Finals championship. With a quality partner and some focus, he could double or triple those numbers and find himself in Newport someday.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 10, 2023 at 2:27 pm

    Bill, The Sock forehand has lost some zip, like Roddick’s suddenly did. It’s still good but not the dominant weapon it was. The first serve percentage has dropped also. It looked like Fritz was better than Sock in every category – fh, bh, serve, serve percentage, and all round rallying. Yes we both think Sock is done as a singles force but no way is he going to accept that just yet. He will keep trying, asking for and getting wildcards, we’ll see for how long. The surprise is his doubles results have declined also. It’s possible the game has passed him by. The kids have gotten younger stronger faster and he can’t handle them like he did before the fall in 2018.

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