'Been through a lot': Tennis star breaks down in tears after 474-day breakthrough
Jack Sock has broken down in tears on court after finally tasting victory after months of agony.
The American earned just his second tour-level victory since the start of 2019 by overcoming a match point to beat defending champion Radu Albot 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2) in the first round at the Delray Beach Open on Tuesday.
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Sock missed much of last year with a thumb injury and only made the tournament as a wild card.
After 474 days without a tour-level victory he couldn’t hold back the tears.
A former World No.8, Sock won just one singles match last year – but it was at the Laver Cup and not at tour level.
Now unranked, the 27-year-old has been forced to battle it out in the tennis wilderness - spending much of his time on the challenger tour.
“I don’t know, it’s just been a couple of tough years, especially last year not even playing that much,” Sock said.
“Close to not playing the sport anymore."
The tennis world join Sock in rejoicing.
H/T to @JackSock — been through a lot, admirable to let us see how much that one meant to him. We’ve seen lots of emotion from him on the tennis court over the years. That was my favorite. Bravo, Jack.
— Brett Haber (@BrettHaber) February 19, 2020
Jack Sock (🎥@TennisTV ) pic.twitter.com/oz2sCWXq5y
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) February 19, 2020
Former top 10 and now unranked Jack Sock wins his first singles non-Laver Cup match since october 2018, beating the defending champion Radu Albot (winless in 2020) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) to reach the 2nd rond in Delray Beach.
Saved one match point.
This is a start! pic.twitter.com/Qhu5aL9kIC— José Morgado (@josemorgado) February 19, 2020
Jack is BACK 💥@JackSock saves match point and battles to a first tour win, outside Laver Cup, since Paris 2018. He dethrones defending champion Albot 3-6 6-3 7-6(2)#DBOpen pic.twitter.com/bJfndlS6hC
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 19, 2020
This is Sock's first #ATPTour win since 2018... 😮
...And this is what it means to him 👇 pic.twitter.com/Gh9jVVnbng— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 19, 2020
Kyrgios forced to withdraw
Nick Kyrgios' injury frustration since his Australian Open heroics continue with the top seed withdrawing just hours before his opening singles match at the ATP Tour event in Florida.
"I'm dealing with a little bit of a left wrist injury; been dealing with it for the last week or so," Kyrgios said on Monday.
"Some sort of tendon thing. Apart from that feeling pretty good."
Kyrgios has not played since his fourth-round loss to then world No.1 Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open, which ended his crowd-pleasing home grand slam campaign.
Earlier this month, he pulled out of the New York Open because of a shoulder issue.
While he withdrew from his singles match against Tommy Paul at the Delray Beach Open, Kyrgios remained in the doubles draw.
His is scheduled to partner countryman Jordan Thompson, who retired after dropping the opening set 6-2 in his first-round match against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic.
The withdrawal of Kyrgios meant all four Australians at Delray Beach failed to progress beyond the opening round of the ATP 250 tournament.
Bernard Tomic, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser, saved 13 of 17 break points but eventually went down 6-2 3-6 6-2 to Germany's Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.
Fifth-seeded Aussie John Millman won the first set but suffered a three-set loss to Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka on Tuesday (AEDT).
with agencies
