After a week of upsets in Auckland, the ASB Classic title was won in the most nondramatic way possible via retirement. Eighth seed Roberto Bautista Agut won the Australian Open tune-up event 6-1, 1-0 on Saturday after opponent Jack Sock retired due to illness. The win is the Spaniard’s third career singles career title.
Previous Meetings
The two players had met four times in the past with the first two won by Bautista Agut on a hard surface. The other two meetings before that saw one on hard court and one on clay. Sock was the winner in those two. Both players upset big players on their way to today’s final. Sock scored wins over top seed David Ferrer and fourth seed Kevin Anderson, while Bautista Agut defeated third seed John Isner and second seed Jo-Wilfred Tsonga.
Bautista Agut Cruises in Opening Set, Sock Struggles
With Sock still looking ill with the flu and without much improvement from his match yesterday, it looked like the match wouldn't’t be played for long. After holding serve, Bautista xfAgut drew first blood, breaking Sock’s first service game, where the American was clearly struggling. After a backhand return winner from the Spaniard to get an early break point, Sock dumped a forehand into the net and Bautista Agut was up early 2-0. Sock was taking a lot of time in between points and hit plenty of unforced errors and his ground strokes looked very weak.
Down 0-3, the American double faulted in the first point of the game and then bent over. After another error to down 0-30, Sock dropped the ball as he was in his service motion. The American would hit another double fault to get broken for the second time. The crowd was trying to support Sock throughout the set, attempting to get his energy up. It would not help as the American wasn’t on his game.
After a hold from Bautista Agut to make it 5-0, the crowd erupted to another round of cheers and applause to try to pump up the sickly American. After Sock hit a winner and an error from the Spaniard to make it 30-30 in his third attempt to hold serve, the American hit a great serve to get the game point. He would hold his first service game in the set, but was still down 1-5. It took 17 minutes for the American to get on the scoreboard. In the next game, Bautista Agut didn't’t have any trouble serving to close out the set 6-1. The opening set was finished in 21 minutes.
Bautista Agut Wins in Auckland
In between sets, the medical team was out to check on the ailing Sock. “I don’t feel like I’m really here,” he said.
He described his condition as “an out of body experience.” However, Sock decided to continue playing in the second set. Bautista Agut didn't’t give the American any chance to find his game, breaking him early to open the set. That would do it for the American as he walked to the net and announced his retirement.
“I feel so happy” said Bautista Agut. “I think I had an amazing week. I had plenty of good wins, played wonderful tennis here. I feel sorry for Jack, and I want to congratulate him because he had a really great year last year, and I want to wish him luck for the rest of this season.”
Both Players Head to Melbourne
Next for both players is the Australian Open in Melbourne. Both players are seeded at the Australian Open. Bautista Agut is the 24th seed and will face Martin Klizan, while Sock will face a qualifier in his first round match. The win today can give the Spaniard a boost of confidence entering the first slam of the season, especially with his wins over two seeds in Auckland. Even though the loss was disappointing, Sock has a lot to take away from this week, as he also upset two big seeds while playing amazing tennis all throughout the week. Perhaps an early retirement can give him more time to get healthy in time for the Australian Open.