The semifinal matchups for the top half of the draws have been set, with the bottom halves determined today. In 18s, top-seeded Jordan Cox, Bradenton, Fla., will face Jack Sock (3), Lincoln, Neb., and in 16s, top-seeded Shane Vinsant, Keller, Texas, will play Nolan Paige (3), Fairfield, Conn. Cox defeated Nelson Vick (29), Stillwater, Minn., 6-1, 6-2, on Thursday, and Sock beat Daniel Kosakowski (15), Downey Calif., 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(5), in a match that lasted 3 hours, 8 minutes. “He’s a darn good player,” Sock said. “This is the first time I’ve ever played him, but I’ve watched him play so I kinda knew what to expect, but not really. “... He can literally hit a winner from anywhere on the court. He can pull the trigger any time.” In the second tiebreak, “I was kinda thinking about (having won the first one) before the tiebreak started,” Sock said. “I was like, I’ve done this once today and let’s try to do it again.” Cox was surprised at how quickly his match ended. “We played two years ago in the 16s in the Round of 16 and we had a really big battler, actually, that match,” Cox said of Vick. “I was expecting a bit more of a grind out there. I guess I played very well, very aggressive, and maybe he was a little bit off, making a few more mistakes than he normally does.” In 16s, Vinsant defeated Anthony Delcore (6), Omaha, Neb., 6-4, 6-4 and Paige beat Tyler Gardiner (16), Novi, Mich., 6-3, 7-5. “The key was whoever was serving a high percentage of first serves and also controlling the rally,” Vinsant said. “Those are the two keys. I know those two things helped either one of us gain offense, whether it was making first serves or controlling the rally.” Gardiner said he could feel the match slipping away at the start of the second set, but “I hung in there,” he said. “I was down 0-2 and that was a big hole. “Then I went up 5-4 and thought I had a chance to make (the match) go three (sets).” Paige said he knows Vinsant is good. “I just gotta play well, go out there,” he said. “He hits a solid ball, I think, so I’ve just gotta go out there and play well, play loose. It’ll be fun playing him.”

Source: USTA Nationals Staff