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By Alberto Amalfi | Thursday, July 28, 2016

 
Stan Wawrinka

No. 2-seeded Stan Wawrinka did not drop serve, sweeping Jack Sock, 7-6 (3), 6-2, to set up a Toronto quarterfinal against nemesis Kevin Anderson.

Photo credit: Phil Sutherland/Corleve

Stan Wawrinka couldn't break Jack Sock's serve in the first set.

Wawrinka broke Sock's will in the second set.

More: Coach on Federer's Future

The second-seeded Swiss did not drop serve, bolting past Sock, 7-6 (3), 6-2, into the Toronto quarterfinals, matching his best Rogers Cup result of five years ago.

The Roland Garros semifinalist arrived in Toronto seeking to rebound from a dismal grass-court season in which Wawrinka won just one match after a Queen's Club opening-round exit and a second-round Wimbledon loss to Juan Martin del Potro.

The 16th-seeded Sock earned the first break point of the day in the fifth game. Wawrinka rapped a mid-court forehand winner to save it, eventually holding for 3-2. That would be Sock's only break point until the final game.

Immediately applying pressure, Wawrinka earned three break points in the next game. Sock withstood the charge, attacking behind a forehand down the line to erase the third break point as he worked through a 10-minute hold for 3-all.

Sock is most comfortable hitting his menacing forehand from his backhand corner. Wawrinka knows it and at times troubled Sock with his backhand down the line.

Deadlocked in the tie break, Sock blinked and never really recovered.

The American's third double fault gave Wawrinka the mini-break and a 4-3 lead. He never looked back.

Crunching a forehand winner for triple set point, Wawrinka closed the 55-minute opening set when Sock flattened a forehand down the line into net.

Little separated them in a tight set: Both men hit 16 winners.

Trying to shake off that tie break lapse proved problematic for Sock. He scattered his best shot, the inside-out forehand, wide of the sideline gifting the break to start the second set.

A disconsolate Sock jammed a backhand into net then hooked a forehand well wide donating a love service break and 3-0 lead to the Swiss.




Serving for the quarterfinals, Wawrinka shanked a forehand off the frame to face a second break point. He saved it on a Sock error and closed the one hour, 24-minute victory on successive Sock forehand errors.

The two-time Grand Slam champion has split eight prior meetings with quarterfinal opponent Kevin Anderson, including a pair of Rogers Cup clashes.

Two years ago, Anderson defeated Wawrinka, 7-6 (8), 7-5, in the Toronto round of 16 after Wawrinka's 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 decision in the 2011 Rogers Cup round of 16.




The 30-year-old Anderson hammered 26 aces rallying past 12th-seeded Bernard Tomic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The stubborn South African saved eight of nine break points in a two hour, five-minute victory, avenging his Queen's Club loss to Tomic last month.

Kei Nishikori carved up American Rajeev Ram, 6-3, 6-4, in 68 minutes. Nishikori did not drop serve and has not permitted a set advancing to the quarterfinals where he will face either Grigor Dimitrov or big-serving Newport champion Ivo Karlovic for a semifinal spot.


 

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