Jack Sock said he was prepared to go the full five sets in the boys 18s final Sunday, but he needed only three. Sock, the third seed from Lincoln, Neb., defeated Bob van Overbeek, the ninth seed from Boca Raton, Fla., 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. Along with the winner’s gold ball, Sock earned a wild card into the U.S. Open main draw, where he wouldn’t mind playing “Federer or Nadal or Murray,” he said. “How many chances do you get to play one of those guys or just play in the U.S. Open? Hopefully I’ll have more chances in the future, but this one would be fun just to play someone big to see where I am.” The high school senior streaked to a 4-0 first-set lead. “My game plan was to come out with a lot of energy, a lot of bouncing around, a lot ‘come ons’, a lot of positive energy,” Sock said. “He’s obviously been serving really well this tournament ... to get up two breaks that early, I can’t say I was expecting that, no, but I started out returning really well; my backhand return was on fire today.” In the second set, Sock was down 5-2, then reeled off the next five games for the set. “I thought the second set was pretty big and crucial,” Sock said. “I actually got broken, which wasn’t good, but that’s why I kept watching him against (Denis) Kudla (in the semifinal on Saturday). He got broken, at 5-3 serving. “He played a loose game there and I hit some good returns again, so I kinda tried to put pressure on at 5-3 and make him win the set from me. At that point, I broke and just had to hold; broke again at 5-all, which was another good game.” Van Overbeek, a sophomore at University of Florida, begins school next week, said, “I’m just looking forward to getting back to school, football season. “It’ll be a good season and I’m just looking forward to getting back to school and hopefully doing better than last year."

Source: USTA Nationals Staff