Week 17 - Challenger ($50,000) - Savannah, GA, USA (Clay)

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Week 17 - Challenger ($50,000) - Savannah, GA, USA (Clay)

LouieG · County player

Pretty close match so far

steven · Tennis legend

Yes. When Wardy's forehand is good, it's very, very good but when it's off, it's ****** awful! You don't know what you're going to get from point to point at the moment. If he can only keep going for it and cut some of the wilder errors, he's still got a chance here.

LouieG · County player

Jesus Christ 1-3* 2nd set

steven · Tennis legend

*1-2 15-40, James gets control of the point then inexplicably hits straight at Sock in the middle of the court, and it goes out anyway. The spare ball ends up in the forest and James gets a warning. Not surprised he's a bit frustrated with himself though.

5-7 1-3*

steven · Tennis legend

Sock breaks again and will serve for the match

5-7 1-5*

steven · Tennis legend

Sock serving for the match ... 0-40!

1 bp saved
2nd saved with the drop shot winner (i.e. James didn't even move forward)
3rd saved with an error into the net

Ad in - another return into the net

James looks like he's had enough ... and Sock wins his 5th point in a row to take the match

A real pity how quickly that 2nd set slipped away, James having looked well into the match in the 2nd half of the 1st set (I didn't see the first half)

L16: James Ward WR 153 lost to (2) Jack Sock (USA) WR 88 (CH 78 in Oct) by 5 & 1

LouieG · County player

Jathan Malik would have put up a better fight in the 2nd set! Awful from Ward

steven · Tennis legend

Yes, pretty gruesome in the 2nd after a very encouraging opening set.

Btw, both players had 5 bps - the first 7 were all converted (2 for James in the 1st set, c.f. 3 in the 1st and 2 in the 2nd for Sock), the remainder were the 3 that Sock saved in the final game.

BeefyDeedz · Pro player

I can't say that that was unexpected, but it's still disappointing. I always hate to see a challenging set be followed by a complete lapse, when it could have been so different. How's James looking on replacing those China points, now?

steven · Tennis legend

If Sock beats Kyrgios later, all three Brits who won main draw matches in Challengers this week will have gone out to the eventual winners!