Newport 2022: Alexander Bublik vs Jack Sock preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Hall of Fame Open
Match Details
Fixture: (3) Alexander Bublik vs Jack Sock.
Tournament: Hall of Fame Open.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Newport, United States.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: $594,950.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Australia - beIN Sports.
Alexander Bublik vs Jack Sock preview
After a bye in the opening round, third seed Alexander Bublik will square off against home favorite Jack Sock in the second round of the 2022 Hall of Fame Open on Wednesday.
Bublik has enjoyed a decent grass season so far. He made it to the second round at Stuttgart and Queen's Club, losing to Andy Murray and Marin Cilic respectively. With wins over Frances Tiafoe and John Millman, he made it to the quarterfinals at Eastbourne, but lost to Taylor Fritz.
Bublik defeated 2021 quarterfinalist Marton Fucsovics in the first round of Wimbledon. He followed it up with a win over Dusan Lajovic in the second round. He was up against Tiafoe once again. But this time, the American got the better of Bublik, defeating him in four sets to end his campaign at the All England Club.
Bublik is a former finalist in Newport, reaching the title round back in 2019. He'll be aiming to better that result this time around.
Jack Sock prepared for Wimbledon by competing in a couple of Challenger tournaments. He made it to the semifinals in Nottingham, where he lost to Dan Evans. The American then made it to the final at Ilkley, but lost to Zizou Bergs in three sets.
Sock won all of his matches during the qualifying rounds to make the Wimbledon main draw. He defeated Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the first round, followed by a win over Maxime Cressy. He put up a fight against Jason Kubler in the third round, but went down in five sets.
Sock performed better in the doubles. Teaming up with Denis Kudla, he made it to the quarterfinals of the men's doubles before retiring in the fourth set. He went a step further in mixed doubles, reaching the semifinals alongside Coco Gauff. They lost a closely fought three-set contest against the Australian pairing of Samantha Stosur and Matthew Ebden.
Sock defeated Radu Albot 6-1, 7-6(2) to get his campaign in Newport underway.
Alexander Bublik vs Jack Sock head-to-head
Sock leads Bublik 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2021 US Open in five sets.
Alexander Bublik vs Jack Sock odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Alexander Bublik vs Jack Sock prediction
Sock played quite well against Albot in the first round. He won a decent number of points on the back of his serve, but it could've been higher. His forehand did most of the heavy lifting and he'll look to do the same against the Kazakh as well.
Considering Sock's expertise in doubles, he'll be better off moving forward from time to time, as he's likely to win quite a few points at the net. The American took a few tumbles during his first-round encounter and will need to be more mindful of his footwork. Bublik will have his hands full in dealing with the former top-10 player, as he's a tough opponent to face at his best
Bublik, on his part, will look to dominate proceedings with his serve. He fired 58 aces in his three matches at Wimbledon. Sock will also need to stay on guard for the odd underarm serve by his opponent.
This is likely to be an evenly matched contest. Bublik has had a better season overall and will probably squeak past his opponent into the next round.
Pick: Alexander Bublik to win in three sets.