By Chris Oddo                                             Photo Credit: Mal Taam Photography

San Jose, Ca. --

The future of American men’s tennis may not look overly promising at the moment, but if Jack Sock and Denis Kudla have their say, that will change over the course of the next few years.

Sock —who was touted by John McEnroe as having top ten potential after the two partnered in a doubles exhibition last night—might have the flashier game and bigger serve, but today it was Kudla’s well-balanced baseline tactics, poise and grit that enabled the qualifier to gut out the victory over his taller, harder-hitting opponent. Kudla’s 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 triumph was tense and closely contested from start to finish, and it earned the No. 203-ranked youngster a date with veteran Andy Roddick in the SAP Open’s second round.

 

Sock, who defeated Kudla in the 2010 US Open Junior finals and twice on the futures circuit this year, started the match as if he might have thought he was still playing last night’s exhibition, making four easy errors on the first five points of his serve to surrender the early break. It was all the motivation Kudla would need, as he saved the only break point he faced to take the set.

 

In the second set, both players found their groove on serve. Sock rained down an impressive 10 aces in his six service games, but Kudla, showing some impressive pop and the ability to mix locations, held his own.

 

Neither player was broken and the set headed to a tiebreaker.

 

In the breaker, Kudla jumped out to a 5-2 lead in impressive fashion, using serve and volley on one point, a scorching backhand winner down the line on another and an approach shot followed by a backhand volley winner on yet another. But just when it appeared the set and match were within his grasp, he took his foot of the pedal and let Sock take the next four points and eventually the set.

 

In the decider it was Sock jumping out to an early lead only to surrender four consecutive games to Kudla from 2-1, including a pivotal seven-deuce game that featured two ill advised drop shots at deuce and ended with a double fault by Sock.

 

Kudla faced a break point at 4-2 during the run, but he fought it off and ended up closing out the game with an ace, his third of the match.

 

After Sock visited briefly with the trainer during the changeover at 5-2, the pair traded holds with Kudla holding his nerve while serving out the two-hour, fifteen-minute affair.

 

For Sock and Kudla, who have managed five combined career wins on tour, talk of changing the course of American men’s tennis might be premature, but each clearly has elements in their games that could help them become successful pros.

 

Sock, tall and lanky and yet to completely fill out his 6’1” frame, has a world-class serve and serious pop on his groundstrokes. Kudla, shorter and more compactly built, seems to be sculpted in the mold of a David Ferrer. He’s strong from both sides, and versatile in the sense that he seems comfortable whether attacking or defending.

 

Both Sock and Kudla are a long way from where they plan to be, but today it was apparent that each player has quite a bit of upside.

 

If they keep working, they just might make it to the top.