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Can Sock Solve The Thompson Puzzle at Citi Open?
112 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Bios
Jack Sock will try to win his first singles match of 2019 today against Jordan Thompson of Australia.
On the surface, it would appear to be a favorable draw for the 26 year old American, however it’s anything but. Sock has played the 25 year old Australian twice before and lost both matches in 2017, which of course was Sock’s career highlight year in the ATP when he finished the season ranked in the top ten.
In 2017, Sock lost to Thompson in four tough sets in Davis Cup and then again at the US Open in five sets, 62 76 16 57 64.
Thompson is at his career high right now, ranked 46 in the world (three notches below his career best ranking earlier this month). This year Thompson, coached by former Aussie player Jaymon Crabb, has a 21-16 won/loss record which is a major improvement from his career record of 38-56.
This year Thompson has some quality singles wins – he has beaten Gasquet, Tiafoe, Paul, Dimitrov, Khachanov, Lopez, de Minaur, Mannarino, He lost to Adrian Mannarino 63 76 in his first ATP final in s-Hertogenbosch. Before Citi Open, though, Thompson has been on a losing streak – he lost first round at Wimbledon, Newport and Atlanta.
It’s a big match today for Sock, ranked 178, and it will not be played in his favorite conditions. Sock will play second match on court 4 at around 2 or 3 in the afternoon on what will be a very hot day in the nation’s capital.
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1 2 3 Next »Scoop Malinowski · July 30, 2019 at 5:46 pm
Gauff dismissed by Diyas. 6462. Not ready for prime time yet but valuable experience gained.
Harold · July 30, 2019 at 5:55 pm
Down Goes Sock!
He’ll be on the Wild Card train for Cincy, and US Open…cant imagine Canada giving him one, maybe into qualies
Doug Day · July 30, 2019 at 6:21 pm
Did i see Sock concede the 2nd set & match when a call didnt go his way?
Hartt · July 30, 2019 at 6:37 pm
I think the chances of Sock getting a WC for the Rogers Cup main draw are just about nil. There is just 1 spot left after the first 3 went to Schnur, Pospisil and Polansky. All the qualies spots have been filled. They went to Canadian players except for Tommy Paul, who was chosen in a an agreement with the USTA (in exchange for Nestor receiving a WC for the USO last fall).
Scoop Malinowski · July 30, 2019 at 10:22 pm
You have to wonder if Sock is another Philippoussis, who wasted his talent and then when he applied himself and tried 110% it just wasn’t there anymore and the knee injuries finished him off. Sock goofed around and had his fun, then the 6 month hiatus, he worked hard, trained hard, declared on Instagram the world wasn’t ready for his big comeback, but it’s been a big dud, with three losses in three matches. The game might hae passed by Sock. Like it did poor Philippoussis.
Jeff · July 30, 2019 at 11:45 pm
Sock getting all these wild cards bothers me since it is not like tournament organizers are putting him on center court. I am not sure he deserves them, is anyone buying a ticket to watch him play?
Having said that, yes, he will get one for Cincy and NY.
Peter Polansky gets into a Twitter spat slamming equal pay for women. I don’t know what kind of fool he is for going up against the Twitter mob, ha. Great comedy.
Jeff · July 31, 2019 at 12:03 am
Complete domination by New York’s Taro Daniel as he crushes Sandgren 2 and 0 in Cabo as he held serve 7 times without facing a break point and broke the hapless Sandgren 5 times.
Daniel and Rubin should join forces and represent New York in my Team Tennis idea to try to get the lower ranked players more dough. Who wouldn’t want to watch that?
Jeff · July 31, 2019 at 1:04 am
In case anyone wonders why Fortnite is so popular among tennis stars, this teenager who won the over $3 million prize – that’s more than Djokovic won for Wimbledon or Tiger Woods for the Masters – is more proof.
Rumor has it that Kyrgios and Sock amped up their Fortnite wars after seeing this news.
catherine · July 31, 2019 at 1:26 am
Out go Gauff, Stephens and Keys in Washington. Gauff not a surprise – but Keys and Stephens ? These are not junior players. Sloane was moaning that she was getting trolled on social media about her body (too fat ?) and how miserable this was making her. Solution – lose some weight and get off IG. Contentment awaits 🙂
Keys is in a real slump.
Jeff – the players bitching about equal prize money (yawn) are usually men no one’s ever heard of and wouldn’t pay to see. Polansky could join your TT or start playing Fortnite.
catherine · July 31, 2019 at 1:36 am
Out in San Jose Coco V plays Sabalenka which could be fun while it lasts. If Aryna plays true to form she will lose.
Tursunov might be on the phone to Muguruza and Kerber. I’m sure he could learn Spanish and German in a jiffy.
catherine · July 31, 2019 at 6:11 am
So funny – WTA highlights of Gauff v Diyas show Gauff winning almost every point and the 6-2 SS is skipped over in a flash. If I were Diyas I’d sue 🙂
Hartt · July 31, 2019 at 6:55 am
I am now counting the days until the Rogers Cup. I won tickets for Monday night, but they haven’t announced who is playing then. After a LOT of deliberation I bought a ticket for Simona’s match on Wed. afternoon. It was between that and Bianca’s match the night before, and I was worried that Bianca could play poorly after being away for so long, and that would be tough to see.
Simona has made at least the SFs the last 4 years and has won the title twice. She said she likes playing in Canada because everyone is so nice to her. (It doesn’t hurt that Romanians living here give her enthusiastic support at her matches.)
The Rogers Cup is using Bianca as the “face” of their advertising campaign, and are heavily promoting Simona as well, plus Serena of course. It is a strong lineup, with all the top WTA players taking part. and word is that Venus and Sharapova will receive WCs.
catherine · July 31, 2019 at 7:29 am
Hartt – Great that you won tickets – and I trust Simona hasn’t been overdoing it on the celebrations in Roumania and has some energy left.
So far looks like Bianca will be playing as I assume she would have been withdrawn by now. As for WCs – Venus hasn’t been doing too well so I imagine she’ll want matches before the USO. I’m still waiting for any announcement re Kerber’s coach – but I suppose she can play without one – something she has done before.
Just hope the weather is ok – it’s been record breaking heat and torrential downpours in England. Just missed W’don.
Hartt · July 31, 2019 at 8:21 am
Catherine, the weather forecast isn’t too bad. The daytime highs will be around 27C, so that is quite normal for this time of year – it can get a lot hotter. There could be a shower on Wed., so I have my fingers crossed. There are so many good players that I’m hoping to see another match on Wed. I’d love to see Ash Barty, but they haven’t announced when she is playing.
Bianca’s coach said she is playing, so hopefully that doesn’t change. If I get ambitious I may go to the qualies on Sat. to try to catch her practice session.
jg · July 31, 2019 at 9:03 am
Tiafoe best Bublik with a second set tie breaker, but I had my doubts about his chances during the second set, Bublik completely frustrated Tiafoe with underhand serves and when he missed the first underhanded serve, he hit a bomb second serve about 135mph, the guy is fun to watch. His underhanded serve isn’t shabby, it registered 96 mph with a ton of spin.
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 9:05 am
It is a controversial decision to give Sock a slew of wildcards when there are so many deserving young Americans who need the break more. Escobedo, Paul, Cressy, come to mind.
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 9:06 am
That is an unexpectedly bad loss for Sandgren but I suppose it’s due to fatigue, remember he played a deep run at Wimbledon (through qualies), then Newport, then Atlanta. The man needs a break.
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 9:07 am
Oh, Sloane is a vicim?
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 9:08 am
Diyas said she learned about Gauff in their doubles match the day before which Coco won. Diyas is a tough veteran so it’s not a bad loss for the kid.
Hartt · July 31, 2019 at 9:16 am
The mention of Escobedo reminded me that he won the Granby Challenger, so a nice win. It is held along with a WTA event with a similar $ total, and this year the first prize $ for the two was the same. Because the women’s final featured an up-and-coming Canadian, 16-year-old Leylah Annie Fernandez, I imagine that match drew a lot more fans than the men’s final. Fernandez is expected to get a WC for the Rogers Cup.
catherine · July 31, 2019 at 9:22 am
Scoop – do you mean ‘Sloane is a victim ?’ Seems so, the way she’s been talking recently.
Hartt · July 31, 2019 at 9:43 am
I just saw Polansky’s tweet about equal pay on Reddit. I agree with Catherine – he is not exactly a draw. I have rooted for him because he is Canadian, but I’ve watched parts of his matches on my computer more out of civic duty than any real interest. And I don’t usually make it through a whole match. One of the Reddit posters joked: “Is he still sleep walking and falling out of buildings?”
So Peter shouldn’t get on his high horse about equal pay. (And this tweet makes me less likely to support him in the future.)
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 10:05 am
My spy at Citi Open reports what happened at the end of Sock vs Thompson match with Sock down 3-5 in the second. Sock missed shot to put himself match point down and screamed F*** as loud as a man can. Repeats the F bomb in chatter with the crowd. Chair umpire Mohammed Lahyani heard the verbal violations and penalizes Sock the match point. Sock whines, “he can’t hear anything, he’s 75 years old.” Sock still winless in singles in 2019 and 0-3 overall. Also lost in doubles with Paes.
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 10:06 am
Catherine, seems that’s what Sloane wants us to think, her struggles based on social media criticisms of her body.
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 10:08 am
Peter will be attacked and vilified into silence for this outspoken bravery which we all know the majority of the male and former players agree with.
catherine · July 31, 2019 at 11:12 am
Come on Scoop – this old chestnut is dead and buried. And there’s nothing brave about tweeting some opinion on social media – anyone can do it. No one will take the slightest notice of Polansky’s opinion about prizemoney (which is what it is – it’s not ‘pay’). And who cares anyway ? It’s all arbitary, what you get for hitting a fuzzy ball over a net.
Harold · July 31, 2019 at 11:13 am
For debate: a topic that doesnt effect me, but I’ll chime in
Why don’t the Ladies Professional Golf Assoc. demand equal pay as the men? Senior men make more than LPGA pros.
They play shorter golf courses, and sometimes they play 3 days instead of 4.
I will go politicly incorrectness. If they had a top female African American golfer who reached Williams sister glory, they’d be out there screaming for equal pay. The Sisters got the ladies equal prize money. BJK knew how to push the buttons, but without the sisters, nobody would have stepped forward, and a lot of the people quietly biting their tongue would have screamed like hell. Womens tennis grabbed on to the mens events, not happening in golf, so the visual of unequal pay is less visible
catherine · July 31, 2019 at 11:46 am
I’m not getting into this Harold – but it wasn’t the Williamses who argued and got equal prizemoney – that campaign was long before. And what do you mean ‘grabbed onto the men’s events’? Tennis has always been mixed at the main events. Funny how this comes up when nothing much is happening and prizemoney is higher than it’s ever been before. Obscene levels some might say. No’debate’ as far as I’m concerned and I’m out of it.
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 11:55 am
Even Arthur Ashe was dead set against equal prize money, as I found by chance watching an old re-run of the Dick Cavett Show:
Cavett instigated the equal prize money debate and Arthur Ashe explained his position. “We’ve come to realize, like other sports, our appeal (as tennis players) is about 70% entertainment and 30% sport,” said Ashe on the 1980 telecast in a New York City studio. “And as such, the amount of money that we make or we can command in prize money, is directly related to our box office appeal. What I said was that women don’t deserve the same amount of prize money as men. They don’t. We are not out there making car doors for Ford Motor Company. One example that I like to use is let’s suppose that Caesars Palace (in Las Vegas) was going to have The Carpenters (perform a concert) one week and Frank Sinatra the next week. Now would you pay Frank Sinatra the same that you would pay The Carpenters? Obviously not. You’d pay Frank quite a bit more than you’d pay The Carpenters. For the exact same number of hours.”
“All I was saying was that the caliber or quality of matches put on by a draw of 128 women, in no way, right now in the Fall of 1980, equals the appeal of a draw of the best 128 men. One day the women might command more. But right now it’s not the same. But at the top, there’s no question that Chrissie or Tracy Austin, they are just as powerful as a Borg or a McEnroe. But, unfortunately, in the first round of 64 matches, the top women usually win those matches very easily. Chrissie Evert seldom loses more than two games a set before she gets to the quarterfinal. But it’s almost assuredly one of the sixteen seeds in the men’s will lose in the first or second round.”
As one might expect, Billie Jean King was hardly amused by Ashe’s contradictory position, according to Ashe, who was retired from the sport at the time of the show, having been forced to retire because of a heart attack just a few years after he won Wimbledon in 1975. Ashe revealed that King confronted him about his equal prize money opinions. “Billie Jean…she got on me,” said Ashe. “She said, ‘How can you do that? After all i supported you through the civil rights days. You let me down.’ I said, ‘Billie Jean, it’s apples and oranges. We’re not talking about the same thing. I would support you whole-heartedly if you were striking Ford Motor Company because they didn’t pay you the same as the pay a man for doing the same job. But this is entertainment. This is not a job like most other people have. It’s whatever you can bargain for.’”
Harold · July 31, 2019 at 11:56 am
Glommed on to the Mens Masters series..Womens event were always the week after.
Williams sisters ensured women won the equal prize money debate..started earlier, but wasnt getting there
Jeff · July 31, 2019 at 12:08 pm
Scoop, fascinating find. Arthur Ashe is a true gentleman and hits the nail on the head. The entertainment industry is not like regular job. Everyone knows a school teacher or police officer should make the same, man or woman.
But of course entertainment is different. It is like Rafa Nadal saying the female models make more than male models. That is exactly what Ashe is saying. I remember Gilles Simon saying the same thing and his comments getting twisted.
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 12:08 pm
Meanwhile, Bouchard was practicing with Tommy Paul yesterday in DC. Add Paul to the infamous Bouchard hit list?! 🙂
Doug Day · July 31, 2019 at 12:15 pm
Thanks at last to your spy reply on my comment #3 Scoop. Sock effectively did concede the match. I had the sound muted for spoiled sports.
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 12:28 pm
Doug, maybe Sock should have asked Lahyani for some coaching advices 🙂
Doug Day · July 31, 2019 at 6:13 pm
Well said, Harold. It seems obvious now that you say it – the sisters were the prize money tipping point. And a LGBT reminder: though you can glom on, your not close to black.
Hartt · July 31, 2019 at 6:53 pm
This seems to be the active thread, so will post this here. FAA defeated Opelka at the Citi Open 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Opelka had a good serving day even by his standards, with 22 aces and a first serve % of 70%, so Felix did well to get the 2 breaks. Outside of a lapse in concentration early in the 2nd set, when he was broken, FAA was focused and steady during the match. If he wins his next match he should move to No.20 in the live rankings.
Scoop Malinowski · July 31, 2019 at 7:32 pm
Another very solid valuable win by Felix beating the red hot semifinalist of Atlanta Opelka who is on the verge of becoming a major player. Felix figured out how to accomplish the hard fought win.
catherine · August 1, 2019 at 1:35 am
Sabalenka bt Coco V SS in San Jose but Sabalenka looked a bit rusty – she hit nicely when the ball came to her but I thought Coco moved better overall. Aryna is not showing any great improvement and I suspect she will stay around top 30-40 in the future. Too many times in early rounds she’ll meet people who know how to play her.
Osaka leaves a lengthy tweet about her improved state of mind going into Toronto – you can’t say Naomi is anything less than open. I believe her and I think she’ll stay that way.
catherine · August 1, 2019 at 1:52 am
Forgot to add Coco smashed her racquet so she hasn’t foresworn her old ways. She’ll stay the same until she retires. Didn’t see Pat Cash around – has he moved on ?
Is Angie being a tease and will she unveil a new coach in Toronto ? Or turn up without one ? Or not turn up at all ? The suspense is killing me 🙂
Jeff · August 1, 2019 at 2:02 am
Naomi leaving out in her note that since she left Sascha she has gone downhill. Now she realizes what pressure is really like. A few more flameouts and let’s see how she responds to that. Sometimes she acts like Muguruza.
Anyone watch Tommy Paul vs. Tsitsipas? He gave the superstar a run for his money and had him on the ropes at times. Kind of crazy that he has yet to break the top 100. He definitely has more upside than Fritz and Tiafoe. I think he has the potential to break through and win a Slam for sure. His game is really outstanding and he has already seriously tested Thiem in Paris. He has to break through soon.
catherine · August 1, 2019 at 3:23 am
Jeff Naomi is a lot younger than Muguruza so I think she has a better future and maybe has learned a few lessons this year. Garbine has won Wimbledon and FO and alienated the person who helped her the most and now doesn’t seem to know where she’s going and is also injured most of the time. Also can’t see Naomi coming out with some of Mug’s language.
I know I put The Curse Of The Glossies on Naomi but actually I can see her doing better on the hard courts now. And the fickle spotlight has shifted to Gauff.
Scoop Malinowski · August 1, 2019 at 5:33 am
Osaka said playing tennis hasn’t been fun for her since Australia but that contradicts what she said when she fired Bajin.
Hartt · August 1, 2019 at 6:27 am
I just realised how much fun women’s tennis is right now, even if there are too many players who lack variety. I was thinking about who I’d like to see in Toronto, either in a match or in practice, and it’s a long list that includes Bianca, Simona, Serena, Ash, Petra and Naomi.
catherine · August 1, 2019 at 6:46 am
Scoop – Naomi’s young (do remember ‘young’ ?)so she probably changes her mind every five minutes 🙂
catherine · August 1, 2019 at 7:56 am
I meant ‘do you remember ‘young’ ? I don’t think I do.
Scoop Malinowski · August 1, 2019 at 9:20 am
Osaka victimized herself by saying she wasn’t enjoying winning the AO with Bajin, how tennis wasn’t fun anymore, now she’s singing a new tune that tennis hasn’t been fun for her since AO. Which shows her whole reasoning for dispatching Bajin was BS. The real reason must be Bajin is romantically involved with Zhuk.
Scoop Malinowski · August 1, 2019 at 9:23 am
Is Mouratoglou in Washington DC fine tuning and coaching Tsitsipas and Coco?
catherine · August 1, 2019 at 9:48 am
Naomi never really gave a reason for parting with Sascha. She wouldn’t have done that out of politeness. Wasn’t really her business anyway.
Hartt · August 1, 2019 at 10:31 am
Catherine, I just read Naomi’s tweet and was surprised at how open she was. Maybe I shouldn’t be, though, Naomi has been open about her thoughts and feelings quite often. Anyway, it’s good to hear that she is feeling positive going into Toronto. It is a very strong field, so she will need to bring her best tennis. I hope she has a successful tourney.
Scoop Malinowski · August 1, 2019 at 10:33 am
She did give a reason – she just wasn’t happy anymore with him, it became a negative situation. She said she was not really happy playing at AO which was a clear indirect shot at Bajin. Now she’s saying AO was the last time she was happy on court. I remember her reason for firing Bajin. It made no sense. She won two majors, got to no. 1 and had the best success of her career with Bajin and she tried to tell the public she wasn’t happy? Made no sense. How could she be unhappy winning her first two majors, getting to no. 1 and earning millions? Made no sense.