Jack Sock beat Richard Gasquet for the second time this year to advance to the Stockholm Open final where he will face Tomas Berdych, just one week after losing in three sets against the Czech in Shanghai. Berdych lost only one game before Marcos Baghdatis retired in the semifinals.
Before 2015 Jack Sock had never reached an ATP World Tour final, nor he had ever broken into the top 30. On Sunday, Sock will play his second final of the year, bidding to win the second title of his career, trying to improve his best ranking set at World No.27.
In what can be considered a breakthrough season for the 23-year-old from Nebraska, the American beat for a second time in the year French Richard Gasquet. Sock played perfect tennis on his serve, firing a total of 11 aces to win the match 6-4 6-2 in just 82 minutes. Sock showed great sings of maturation, going on to close for the match, firing a total of 4 consecutive aces to grab the win.
Knowing his favorite surface is clay, Sock managed to express his best tennis also on hard courts this year, finally finding a way to dictate the rallies with his serve and forehand, also managing to put together the consistency needed. After conquering the title on the clay courts of Houston, Jack will have a chance to win a second ATP title in the season and also reach a new career high best ranking.
Reaching the final, Sock is now virtually World No.29, just two pots shy of his best ranking. Winning the title on Sunday, the American would be able to go as high as No. 24, if Bautista Agut doesn’t go further than the semi-finals in Moscow.
It will not be an easy task to complete, as on the other side of the net Sock will find Tomas Berdych. The World No.5 won the first set 6-1 against former Australian Open Marcos Baghdatis, before the Cypriot was forced to retire. Having beaten Grigor Dimitrov in the tournament this year, Berdych has the confidence he needs to defend his title in Stockholm and conquer his second title of the year (he would be the 13th player to reach the feat in 2015) after the early triumph in Shenzhen.
Sock and Berdych played a tough three-setter last week in Shanghai. Tomas won the second round match by 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4.
