Sock snatches last ATP Finals spot with Paris title

PARIS - American Jack Sock snatched the last spot in the eight-man field for the season-ending ATP Finals when he beat Serbian qualifier Filip Krajinovic 5-7 6-4 6-1 to win the Paris Masters title on Sunday.

The 16th-seeded Sock became the first American to win the singles title at the tournament since Andre Agassi in 1999.

Sock, who started the week in 24th position in the Race to London, needed to win the title to leapfrog Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta to ensure he will play in the Nov. 12-19 event in London.

He did just that with a solid performance, wearing down the defence of world number 77 Krajinovic.

"I obviously snuck into ... London unexpectedly so zero pressure on me to go there," said Sock, the first American man to make it into the singles draw of the season-finale since Mardy Fish in 2011.

"I'm going to swing big and play my game, like I always do, and just honestly enjoy the moment."

Sock won his first two service games to love but ran into a spot of bother in the sixth game. He served and volleyed to save a break point but a double fault handed Krajinovic a break and a 4-2 lead.

The American broke straight back but a fine forehand earned the Serb a set point and Sock made a mess of another forehand as his opponent, who defended well, took the lead.

Krajinovic, however, lost his focus and a forehand error gave Sock an early break in the second set. The Serb fell 4-1 behind and could only break back once, Sock levelling for one-set all.

The momentum had shifted and Sock, who will finish the year as the American number one for the first time, raced through the deciding set to claim his maiden Masters title.

Despite the defeat, Krajinovic will climb to a career-high 33 in the rankings on Monday and the 25-year-old is aiming higher.

"I know that I will work even more right now. That's for sure. Pressure is part of the sport," he said.

"Everybody has pressure in life. Of course, I am going to have more. People will expect more from me right now. They see I can do it.

"But if I want to be better, I have to handle that. So I will work on that also. So I hope next year will be better."

(Reporting by Julien Pretot,; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Europe tops World in Laver Cup openers

PRAGUE - Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev won their opening singles to put Team Europe ahead of Team World after day one of the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague on Friday.

Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock then handed Team World their first point by beating Tomas Berdych and world number one Rafael Nadal in the day's closing doubles rubber to round off the score at 3-1 for Europe.

"I'm happy the way the day went, we had a couple of wins that were super close and we could lose," said Roland Garros and US Open champion Nadal.


"We have a good result for our team. Happy to go to back to bed with 3-1 and tomorrow is another day."

With four matches a day -- three singles and a doubles, the players can earn a point for each win on Friday, two on Saturday and three on Sunday.

World number five Cilic beat 72nd-ranked Frances Tiafoe, a replacement for the injured Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/0) in the tournament opener.

The big-serving Croat and the 19-year-old American held on to their serves in the first set before earning a break apiece in the second, with Cilic showing better nerves in both tie-breakers.

Seventh-ranked Austrian Thiem then put Europe 2-0 ahead, beating world number 17 John Isner 6-7 (15/17), 7-6 (7/2), 10/8.

Isner offered his regular dose of aces as both held on to their serves throughout the rubber, taking it to the 10-point super tie-break used to decide games tied after two sets.

Isner went 4-0 up in the super tie-break, but the patient Austrian came back to win the rubber.

In a clash of the teams' youngest players, the 20-year-old world number four, Zverev, overpowered 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5) in another rubber without breaks.

In the doubles, Berdych lost his serve halfway through the first set as off-court friends Kyrgios and Sock seemed far more comfortable on the black court of Prague's O2 Arena.

Berdych and Nadal regained some momentum in the second set, but the Team World duo grabbed the super tie-break.

Skippering Team Europe, Bjorn Borg decided to rest world number two Roger Federer on Friday while John McEnroe decided not to use his highest-ranked player, 16th-ranked Sam Querrey.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

TENNIS: Rio a prime goal for Serena on her return to competition

Having played just one tournament since mid-September due to various injuries and a recent bout of flu, Serena Williams is now itching to get back into competition with the Rio Olympics among her top priorities for the year.

The American world number one has not competed since her stunning loss to Germany's Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open final in January, and says she has learned lessons from that defeat which she will use to her advantage.

"Whenever I lose, it definitely motivates me to do better," Williams, 34, said on a conference call on Thursday to promote her exhibition match with good friend Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in New York next week.

"There's a lot from that match (in Australia) that I feel like I can improve on and do a lot better. Hopefully I will achieve that this year."

Asked if she felt fully rested after her limited playing time since mid-September, Williams replied: "Oh yeah. I was ready to go in Australia and I will be ready to go today and tomorrow, and I'll definitely be ready to go on Tuesday."

Williams, who will face Wozniacki in the BNP Paribas Showdown at Madison Square Garden in New York on Tuesday, has already won Olympic gold four times, once in the singles and on three occasions in the doubles.

Success in Rio counts among her biggest goals for this year.

"Tennis players never really thought about winning the Olympics, you grew up thinking about winning grand slams but now, with tennis in the Olympics, of course you think about it," Williams said.

"The Olympics have had such a big impact on everyone. It (the August Games) will probably affect my schedule a little bit and I probably won't be playing as much because I will be in Rio. I am really looking forward to it."

Tomic hits back for Australia after Isner win

Bernard Tomic ground down Jack Sock 7-6(2) 6-3 3-6 6-4 to level Australia's Davis Cup first round tie with the United States at 1-1 in Melbourne on Friday.

The rangy world number 20 hit back for the hosts after John Isner wrapped up the opening singles against Sam Groth 7-6(2) 6-2 6-2 on a sweltering day at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club.

Flourishing on the grass court installed specially for the World Group encounter, Tomic was cruising toward a comfortable victory before a lapse of concentration led to an early break in the third set.

World number 24 Sock held firm to take the match into a fourth but also dropped his level in the heat and Tomic captured the decisive break in the ninth game.

The Australian raised three match points with an imperious forehand winner and sealed the contest when Sock clubbed a backhand long.

"Bernie stepped up. It's never easy after going down 1-0," Australia team captain Lleyton Hewitt said courtside.

Isner and Groth's match was a battle of big servers but the 11th-ranked American returned with fury during his emphatic win.

"It was a very, very good performance for me and certainly I've played some matches... where I've struggled on return but I think today I was pretty solid," Isner said.

Groth was named to play the doubles with John Peers against the Bryan brothers in Thursday's draw.

But former world number one Hewitt, who replaced Nick Kyrgios after his withdrawal with a virus, could also play, despite retiring at the Australian Open six weeks ago.

"We'll wait and see... we'll put the best team out there," the 35-year-old said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com