By Chris Oddo | Sunday November 5, 2017
Merci Paris, bonjour London! Jack Sock reaches the ATP World Tour Finals with a stunning title run at the Paris Masters.
Photo Source:Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty
Jack Sock capped the biggest week of his life with the biggest title of his career and several other crowning achievements at the Paris Masters on Sunday. The American became the first from his country to claim the Paris title since 1999 with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Serbia's Filip Krajinovic.
It was truly the bundle of goodness that Sock, a player long on potential and—until this week—short on breakout accomplishments, craved.
Now he’s got it.
A longshot to win this title at the beginning of the week, Sock battled back from 5-1 down in the third set of his first match against Kyle Edmund to stay alive in the draw. The rest, as they say, is history.
And the future looks bright.
Sock powered past nine people in the Race to London standings and claimed the final qualifying spot for the ATP World Tour Finals to be held on November 12-19.
He needed the title to claim that spot but that didn’t seem to faze him as he rolled through his last few matches, two of them in three sets.
On Friday he had to battle tooth and nail with an inspired Fernando Verdasco; on Saturday he calmly knocked out fan favorite Julien Benneteau, and on Sunday he saved his best for last when he absolutely pummeled qualifier Krajinovic in the final set.
The match hung in the balance until then as the Serb, bidding to become the lowest-ranked winner of a Masters 1000 tournament since 1996, displayed poise and promise. But Sock had enough answers to force a third set and early in that decider it was the American's time to shine.
Sock clocked back-to-back passing shot winners in the third game of the set to draw first blood with a break for 2-1 and he only played better after that.
He would not drop another game.
He finished the set dropping just three points on serve and broke Krajinovic three times on five opportunities.
It was a remarkable finish to a remarkable week, and Sock’s celebration matched the occasion. He fell to the court on his back before the handshake then immediately raced over to his box, hugging both of his coaches before grabbing his girlfriend for a celebratory kiss.
At times Sock has lacked fitness and variety in his game—but he has never wanted for charisma. And that topspin forehand? Much of the first two sets was a territorial batle between Sock and fellow first-time Masters finalist Krajinovic, with the focus on whether or not Sock would get the opportunity to use his lethal forehand to deconstruct the Serb’s game. It would not have been possible without tactical awareness and the fitness that helped propel him over the finish line in the decider.
Next up the 25-year-old will travel to London to take his place among the world’s elite. He’s a worthy contestant, and whether he wins or loses in London, the mere experience of qualifying and giving it a shot could be the impetus for a push higher in the rankings in 2018.