Sock happy to miss tee time

NEW YORK - Jack Sock was so certain he would not qualify for next week's ATP Finals that he had a tee time booked at Augusta National.

Now the American will have to wait another day to cross that round of golf off his bucket list.

Sock, who started last week at No 24 in the Race to London rankings, only secured the eighth and final spot in the season-ending showcase with a breakthrough win at the Paris Masters on Sunday to reach a career-high No 9 in the world.

For Sock, the first American to secure a berth at the season finale since Mardy Fish in 2011, the win means he will be among the elite field at the Nov 12-19 tournament rather than golfing at the home of the Masters.

"Golf is my second passion. Athletically, it's what I love to do when I am away from tennis. Obviously, it would've been a bucket list thing for me to do," he said. "But I would trade a tee time at Augusta to play in London in a heartbeat."

Sock didn't know he had a shot at reaching the ATP Tour Finals when he stormed back from 5-1 down in the decisive set of his second-round clash with Kyle Edmund in Paris. He was only told of his chances after a third-round win over Lucas Pouille.

The 25-year-old American is now eager to extend his season as he gets ready to battle in a field that includes world No 1 Rafael Nadal and six-time champion Roger Federer.

"I got a lot confidence from the biggest title of my career in Paris, and now being a part of this event," said Sock.

"I'm going to enjoy my time out on court and take all the confidence from the last few weeks of my season and definitely carry those into training for the offseason and into 2018."

Sock, who will end the year as No 1 in the US for the first time, might be making his singles debut at the elite eight-player event but he insists he is not just happy to be there.

The rest of the field in London will be made up by debutants Alexander Zverev of Germany, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin of Belgium, and former qualifiers Austria's Dominic Thiem and Croatia's Marin Cilic.

"I have played a lot of these guys and beaten some of them," said Sock.

"Especially with the confidence after last week, I have the belief in myself to go out and do some damage in this event."

Reuters

(China Daily 11/10/2017 page24)