Sock topples Ferrer to reach final
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JACK Sock ended David Ferrer’s hopes of a fifth singles title in Auckland when he beat the top-seeded Spaniard 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the ASB Classic semifinals yesterday.
Ferrer seemed on track for another final when he took the first set. But the 26th-ranked Sock broke the 8th-ranked Ferrer’s serve in the second game of the second set and held for 3-0, and was never threatened the rest of the way.
Sock’s opponent in today’s final will be another Spaniard, the 8th-seeded Robert Bautista Agut, who completed the rout of the top seeds, beating 2nd-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4.
Sock advanced to his third ATP Tour final after finishing runner-up indoors at Stockholm last year and winning on clay in Houston.
“I knew coming in I had to play some unbelievable tennis,” Sock said. “It was a difficult day, started out I woke up with some flu-like symptoms and didn’t know if I was going to be able to play.
“I ended up coming out and playing some of the best tennis of my career so maybe I can stay sick to Melbourne if I play like this.”
The 10th-ranked Tsonga seemed in control of the second semifinal but Bautista Agut, ranked No. 25 and bidding for his third career title, slowly turned the match in his favor and converted one service break in the third set to confirm the win.
No. 3 Victor Troicki and No. 4 Grigor Dimitrov will meet in the final of the Sydney International after a day featuring quarterfinals and semifinals, with organizers catching up following rain delays.
Troicki beat Nicolas Mahut 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals and then had a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Teymuraz Gabashvili, who reached the semifinals when Bernard Tomic retired from their quarterfinal because of possible food poisoning.
“I was just feeling a little bit sick last night and was very difficult to play two matches today,” Tomic said.
Dimitrov advanced by overcoming Alexandr Dolgopolov 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals and then Gilles Muller 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the semis.
In the women’s final, two-time grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Puerto Rican qualifier Monica Puig 6-0, 6-2. The Russian player won her 16th career WTA title.
In the semifinals, Kuznetsova beat top-seeded Simona Halep 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-3, and Puig advanced when Belinda Bencic retired ill after losing the first set 0-6.
At the Hobart International, Eugenie Bouchard, playing her best stretch of tennis since sustaining a concussion in a dressing room fall at the US Open last September, advanced to the final with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win over third-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
Bouchard will play 7th-seeded Alize Cornet of France, who beat Johanna Larsson of Sweden 6-1, 6-1. “I can’t remember the last time I played that well,” Bouchard said. “The important thing is trying to keep that and have that consistently.”
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