By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 5, 2017
Kevin Anderson pumped 12 aces and did not drop serve defeating Jack Sock, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to his first final since 2015 in Washington, DC.
Photo credit: Citi Open Facebook
Midway through the second set, Jack Sock saw Kevin Anderson buzz another bolting serve by him and then took evasive action.
Sock offered his Babolat racquet to a fan in the stands to see if he was up for facing the towering South African’s serve.
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Anderson disarmed Sock at times and drilled some of his most aggressive serves amid break point pressure posting a 6-3, 6-4, victory to cruise into the Washington, DC final.
“I think getting off to a good start today was very key,” Anderson told Tennis Channel’s Justin Gimelstob afterward. “Toward the end of the second set, I felt I could have been better from the back. I hit some of my best serves down break point, which was nice.”
It is Anderson’s first final since he won his third career title at the 2015 Winston-Salem tournament.
Timely serving and plenty of positive emotion were keys for Anderson, who denied all five break points he faced cracking three clean aces in the process.
The world No. 45 served 56 percent and thumped 12 aces defeating Sock for the second time in four meetings.
The 15th-seeded Anderson will play Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final.
The fifth-seeded Zverev swept second-seeded Kei Nishikori, 6-3, 6-4, in 63 minutes.
The eighth-ranked Zverev has beaten Anderson in both of their prior meetings, including a three-set win in the 2015 Washington, DC second round.
Sock won the coin toss elected to receive and Anderson made him pay the price.
An emotive Anderson threw a fist pump after the first point, tearing through eight of the first nine points as he broke for 2-0.
The agile Sock, who did a fine job neutralizing Milos Raonic’s serve at times during his quarterfinal conquest of the Canadian yesterday, blocked back a 133 mph serve then drew the error reaching 30-all in the seventh game.
The 6-foot-8 Anderson serve-and-volleyed on a second serve then hammered a big serve working through a tricky test for 5-2.
Rushing through service points, Sock spit up his third double fault to face set point in the eighth game. The Kansas City resident ripped three successive stinging serves for a tough hold.
Serving for the set, Anderson bungled two mid-court forehands in a row to face break point for the first time. Unleashing a 131 mph serve out wide, Anderson erased it exhorting himself with a “come on!”
"I think the biggest thing is really bringing 100 percent energy and focus for each point," Anderson said. "Especially me being bigger and having a big serve. I play my best tennis when my back’s against the wall so I’m trying to channel that energy and emotion even when I’m even."
Sticking an inside-out forehand into the corner, Anderson earned a second set point.
Anderson slashed a 133 service winner out wide closing the opening set in 34 minutes. The South African served 70 percent and hit 11 more winners than Sock—17 to 6—building a one-set lead.
Following treatment on his right shoulder and neck area, Sock stamped a love hold to start the second set.
The twisting topspin forehand, jolting serve and buzzing foot speed are all Sock assets, but he still plays too many loose points. Spraying a forehand down the line wide, Sock confronted break point then clanked his fourth double fault donating the break and a 2-1 lead to Anderson.
Plopping down in his court-side chair, Sock slammed his racquet repeatedly against his bag in an eruption of frustration. Unable to put a return in play in the next game, Sock jokingly offered his Babolat racquet to a fan near the front row.
In the sixth game, Anderson pumped an ace down the middle to save a break point, but pasted a forehand into net to face a second break point. Again, Anderson unloaded another ace down the middle that nearly dotted the “I” in the Citi sign embedded on the back wall. Anderson bended his third ace of the game out wide then bolted a second serve winner working through an eight-minute hold for 4-2.
Sock earned double break point again in the eighth game. Anderson denied the first with a diagonal forehand and singed the sideline with a second serve ace—his 12th of the day—to save the second.
The 31-year-old Anderson served out the one hour, 29-minute victory at love lashing an inside-out forehand to end it. Anderson has hit a tournament-high 62 aces in four wins this week.