ATP Finals: Jack Sock beats Alex Zverev to set up SF clash with Grigor Dimitrov

23:22 · THU November 16, 2017

by Andy Schooler, at The O2

Jack Sock, the man who didn’t know he could even qualify for the ATP Finals a couple of weeks ago, is through to the last four after a three-set victory over Alex Zverev.

Sock won a see-saw contest at London’s O2 Arena 6-4 1-6 6-4 on Thursday night to set up a semi-final clash with Grigor Dimitrov, a player he leads 3-1 in their previous meetings.

The 25-year-old headed into the Paris Masters earlier this month not knowing he even had a mathematical chance of making it into this week’s elite eight-man field.

However, his unexpected run to the title in the French capital saw him clinch the final spot on the last day of the regular season.

"Going into Paris I was honestly just hoping to play some matches and was getting ready to regroup mentally and get ready for the off-season at home," he revealed before the tournament began.

"I genuinely had no idea that mathematically I could make London after the five, six-month stretch I had from the middle to the end of the season."

He was 5-1 down in the final set to Briton Kyle Edmund early in his title run, his season looking all but over. That seems a long time ago now.

Could he now complete a remarkable title double?

"Why not? I played Grigor a few times. He got me early on when we played. I've been able to get some wins against him," he said after seeing off one of the rising stars of the game.

"I'm playing with a lot of confidence as well coming off Paris, playing here, winning some of my matches, getting into the semis.

"You never know what can happen.

"I'm going to have fun, play big, play free.

"That's definitely not going to change. No one expected me to be here in the first place. There's no reason to start putting pressure on myself."

With both men hitting the ball seriously hard, the first set could have gone either way.

There were break points aplenty – six for Zverev and five for Sock – with numerous games going to deuce.

The key one was the seventh in which Sock, who was winning the majority of the points lasting more than five strokes, got to 15-40 on the Zverev serve before crushing a trademark forehand down the line for a clean winner.

Holding from 0-40 in the next game was also crucial as Sock went on to take the set after 41 minutes to leave Zverev chuntering to his box at the side of the court.

It included coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former world nuber one, and physical trainer Jez Green, well used to take some verbal punishment from his time with Andy Murray.

Team Zverev were soon getting more positive vibes from their man, who aimed a fist pump in their direction when he broke in the second game of the second set, setting the tone for a one-sided set which he claimed 6-1 in just 27 minutes.

Alex Zverev: 'I choked'

The pattern continued at the start of the decider when Sock when narrowly wide on the forehand when break point down. As Zverev roared with delight, the American swiped a ball away into the stands and earned himself a point penalty with which to start the next game.

He overcame the handicap though as Zverev handed the break back and his game began to unravel with double faults playing a major part. He was soon 4-1 down only for the momentum to swing again.

Sock saved one break-back point at 4-2 but then sliced a backhand into the net. Zverev drew level at 4-4 but cracked big time when he stepped up to serve to stay in the match.

He collapsed on a serve to produce another double fault – his eighth of the match and fifth of the set – and then went wide on match point.

"I choked," admitted Zverev in his post-match press conference.

"I was 1-0 with a break. He got a point penalty. I was down 1-4 within 10 minutes where I didn't put many balls in the court. When I got back at 4-5, that's one of the worst games I think I played all year."

Sock is the first American to reach the semi-finals of the season-ending showpiece since Andy Roddick in 2007.