In spite of a “weird stomach”, Jack Sock, the boys’ 16s top seed from Lincoln, Neb., defeated unseeded Quoc-Daniel Nguyen, Dunn Loring, Va., 6-1, 6-4, Monday afternoon on a day featuring 16s singles play. All main-draw 18s singles players had the day off. “My stomach felt weird and I felt uneasy,” Sock said. “It was a weird match.” Being a top seed is nothing new for the second-year 16s player who spent most of last year playing up in 18s. “I’ve been the top seed a couple times in the past, so I’m kinda used to the pressure, I guess,” he said. “I don’t feel that much pressure here.” No. 2 Shane Vinsant, Keller Texas, had an easier time, defeating Jon Pearce, Provo, Utah, 6-1. 6-1. Dennis Mkrtchian, the sixth seed from Reseda, Calif., fell to unseeded Andrew Korinek, Mansfield, Texas, 6-3, 6-1. “We played last year in the consolation (in Kalamazoo),” Korinek said. “I lost 6-1 in the third. We’re pretty good friends. I trained with him some in Carson.” In his win on Monday, “The serve was a big difference, in my opinion,” he said. “I was serving pretty good, making lot of first serves, getting a lot of free points off them.” No. 11 Ace Matias, Torrance, Calif., was also upset. Van Damrongsri, Ellicott City, Md., blew three match points, but finally won 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(1). “I just got really, really tight,” Damrongsri said. “I kind of froze up and missed a couple shots.” During the 10-minute break after losing the second set, “My coach said, Van, you’ve got to hit the ball. “I stayed more aggressive than (Ace) did throughout the match.” Third-seeded Bjorn Fratangelo, Pittsburgh, cruised to a 6-1, 6-1, win over Alex Howard, Brentwood, Tenn. Frata ngelo was unseeded last year in Kalamazoo after breaking his finger which “set me back a couple months, so my ranking slipped way down,” he said. As for being the third seed, “I had come off Clay Courts, which I won, and that ranked me up pretty high,” he said.

Source: USTA Nationals Staff