By Alberto Amalfi | Saturday, January 4, 2016
Jack Sock spent some time during the holidays pushing a weighted sled.
Off-season weight worked helped Sock pull off some heavy lifting in Auckland.
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The fourth-seeded Sock stopped Joao Sousa, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, in the Auckland final to capture his second career ATP title.
Sock smacked 13 aces and broke serve five times in the one hour, 56-minute victory.
It is Sock’s first championship since he won the 2015 Houston crown on red clay. Sock’s title run comes a year after he lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in the Auckland final.
“Anytime you can take a title, it feels really good,” Sock told ATP World Tour.com. “I’ve had it once before. I’ve had chances. I’ve lost in a few finals. Winning the whole tournament is definitely a massive confidence booster.”
Sock, who was runner-up to Juan Martin del Potro in the Stockholm final last fall, raised his record to 2-4 in ATP championship matches.
“I was able to put in a lot of work in the off-season and I think it paid off,” Sock said. “I was able to make lots of gains and lots of strides forward. I think it really showed this week.”
The 24-year-old American will face Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the Australian Open first round.