Jack Sock Makes Miracle Run To Paris ROLEX Title • Snags Last Spot In Nitto ATP World Tour Finals In London

Jack Sock of USA poses with his trophy after winning the singles final match against Filip Krajinovic of Serbia at the Rolex Paris Masters tennis tournament in Paris, France, 05 November 2017. EPA-EFE/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON

 

 

Sock makes miracle run to Paris title, snags last spot at World Tour Finals

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

Jack Sock was a dreadful 13-16 in his last 29 matches going into the Rolex Paris. It looked like he would be 13-17 in his last 30 matches of the season when he trailed Kyle Edmund 5-1 in the third set of their second-round contest.

 

Fast forward four days and Sock is now in the top 10 for the first time in his career and on his way to the World Tour Finals–also for the first time.

 

The 25-year-old American, who kick-started his run by storming back to beat Edmund 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(5), capped off the week by overcoming fellow surprise finalist Filip Krajinovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 in the title match on Sunday afternoon. Sock struck nine aces and broke serve six times before triumphing in one hour and 58 minutes.

 

“It definitely hasn’t sunk in yet,” the 16th seed commented. “I don’t know when it will. Right now I want to enjoy it with my team. They’ve been with me through everything. I’m excited to see my family and just enjoy it with everyone.

 

“I’d be lying if I said that 18 months ago I was mentally prepared to win matches like this. It’s something I’ve worked really hard towards. It’s something that…if you put your nose down and keep fighting, good things will happen. Crazy things can happen. That’s sports and that’s why we play.”

 

Sock’s ticket to the year-end championship is nothing short of crazy. He was all the way down at No. 23 in the race to London prior to this week. Obviously needing to go all the way in Paris if he wanted to steal the final qualifying spot from Pablo Carreno Busta, Sock scored wins over Edmund, Lucas Pouille, Fernando Verdasco, Julien Benneteau, and Krajinkovic. Thus is is Sock who is in and Carreno Busta who is out–or, to be exact, the Spaniard is the first alternate.

 

“There have been a lot of firsts,” Sock said during the trophy ceremony. “It started at the French Open with my first fourth round of a slam, now I’ve won my first Masters 1000 in Paris. This will be my first time in the top 10 and this will be the first time making the year-end finals.”

 

He will be joined in London by Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Marin Cilic, Grigor Dimitrov, and David Goffin.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.