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US Open 2010, Flushing Meadows, NY, USA
September 12, 2010
Editorial by Jane Voigt.
Jane Voigt |
Such Excitement
September 12, 2010 -- Although the highlight of the U. S. Open -- the men's singles championship match -- was cancelled late this afternoon because of poor weather, plenty of cheers were heard around the National Tennis Center earlier in the day.
American Jack Sock defeated friend and countryman Denis Kudla in the Junior Boys' Singles final 36 62 62 on Court 11, an intimate setting that came alive for the competition.
"We were both Americans, so we both had a lot of support, which was awesome," Sock told the press.
This was the first all-American final in New York since Andy Roddick defeated Robby Ginepri in 2000. Sock is a high school senior from Lincoln, Nebraska. He has a powerful serve and versatile ground game that tamed Kudla.
Both Sock and Andy Roddick are from Nebraska and Cornhusker fans. Sock's brother plays tennis for the University of Nebraska.
Sock moved from his home in Lincoln to Kansas City, Kansas, when he was ten to work with his coach, Mike Wolf. "He's one of the best in the business, I think," Sock said.
Sock also played in the main draw of men's singles as a wildcard. He lost in the first round to Michael Chiudinelli.
"I was pretty nervous at the beginning," Sock began. "Had a pretty loose first set, but he's obviously 60-some in the world for a reason. He dictated play for a couple sets. Then I got some energy going in the third. I think that's why the third went my way."
Sock started hitting tennis balls on his garage door at eight. His mother was a recreational player. After playing in USTA tournaments, he was spotted by Mike Wolf. Soon, Jack and his family spent weekends at Wolf's tennis facility. The family decided to move to Kansas City, leaving their dad in Lincoln to work as a financial advisor.
He would like to be a professional tennis player, but has not turned pro as has Kudla.
"I'm going to finish out 2010 and see where my game is and my ranking," Sock said.
Last month, Sock won the Boys' 18 title at Nationals in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the biggest national juniors tournament in the country.
Novak Djokovic and Jack warmed each other up for their semifinal matches yesterday. Sock hadn't talked with Novak since his victory over Roger Federer.
Andy Roddick, though, contributed the best piece of advice to Sock. Roddick wrote in a text message, "You can't get back yesterday. If you practice as hard as you can every day, you'll be happy with the outcome. It's better not to learn the lesson later in life and to do it earlier and just start working as hard as you can now and not regret your past."
Sock told the press that he's been eating regularly at Chipotle restaurant. He doesn't think he'll go there tonight.
"I might go and get a burger and fries and celebrate," Sock said, smiling.
Other American juniors had a great Open, too. Florida native Sloane Stephens didn't make the Girls' Junior Singles Championship, after losing a tight match against the #1 seed Daria Gavrilova yesterday. However, she collected her third Junior Girls' Doubles title alongside Timea Babos of Hungary.
And for the American adults... Mike and Bob Bryan defeated the Indo Pak Express -- Rohan Bopanna of India and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan -- on Friday, earning their third Open title and ninth major title. The match was more of a geopolitical phenomenon than tennis match. It drew international press coverage and packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, a rarity for men's doubles, or any other doubles match. Tennis is a sport with no borders.
The Bryan brothers are a twin pack of California celebrity, having earned their place in history as the all-time team titles leaders. Wayne Bryan dedicated himself to his boys when they first learned tennis at the age of four. He has contributed thousands of hours to grassroots tennis himself, outside of his role and father and mentor, and coaches World Team Tennis, too.
Bob Bryan and Liezel Huber won the Mixed Doubles Championship this year, too, defeating veteran Kveta Peschke and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi -- half the Indo Pak Express. Huber and Bob Bryan won the French Open Mixed Doubles Champions in 2009.
Huber and her doubles partner Russian Nadia Petrova battled American Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova, the Wimbledon Ladies Doubles Champions, on Arthur Ashe this morning, when the match was called for weather. They will finish tomorrow, too.
Liezel Huber has been at the top of women's doubles for years, most notably with partner Cara Black. Huber and Black were the finalists at the U. S. Open last year and won it in 2008. Huber has also won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, with Black.
Earlier Coverage from this Event:
September 11, 2010 US Open: Super Duper Saturday - Rafael Nadal, Mikhail Youzhny, Roger Federer, Novak Djjokovic, Kim Clijsters, Vera Zvonareva
September 10, 2010 US Open: Zvonareva Shocks Wozniacki, Clijsters Scrapes by Williams - Vera Zvonareva, Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams
September 9, 2010 US Open: Them - Rafael Nadal, Fernando Verdasco, Mikhail Youzhny, Stanislas Wawrinka
September 8, 2010 US Open: Below Par - Novak Djokovic, Gael Monfils, Caroline Wozniacki, Dominika Cibulkova, Roger Federer, Robin Soderling, Vera Zvonareva, Kaia Kanepi
September 7, 2010 US Open: A Precious Win - Stanislas Wawrinka, Sam Querrey, Venus Williams, Francesca Schiavone
September 6, 2010 US Open: The Important Stuff - Novak Djokovic, Mardy Fish, Robin Soderling, Albert Montanes
September 5, 2010 US Open: Seeing The Light - Rafael Nadal, Gilles Simone, Fernando Verdasco, David Nalbandian, Francesca Schiavone, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
September 4, 2010 US Open: Favorites - Mardy Fish, Arnaud Clement, Maria Sharapova, Beatrice Capra, Jurgen Melzer, Juan Carlos Ferrero
September 3, 2010 US Open: The Virtual U.S. Open - Ryan Harrison, Sergiy Stakhovsky, John Isner, Marco Chiudinelli
September 2, 2010 US Open: Way Below The Radar - Roger Federer, Caroline Wozniacki, Kai-Chen Chang, Andreas Beck, Robin Soderling, Taylor Dent
September 1, 2010 US Open: The Word - Andy Murray, Lukas Lacko, Venus Williams, Rebecca Marino, Gael Monfils, Igor Andreev
August 31, 2010 US Open: What's Age Got To Do With It? Arnaud Clement, Marcos Baghdatis, Novak Djokovic, Mardy Fish, Jan Hajek, Viktor Troicki
August 30, 2010 US Open: And Away We Go - Melanie Oudin, Kim Clijsters, Andy Roddick, Olga Savchuk, Greta Arn, Stephane Robert
August 29, 2010 US Open: Who's In, Who's Out
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