Roland Garros: Dominic Thiem vs Jack Sock preview, head-to-head & prediction | French Open 2020
Match details
Fixture: Dominic Thiem vs Jack Sock
Date: 30 September 2020
Tournament: Roland Garros 2020
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: Approx. €38,000,000
Match timing: Approx. 2 pm CEST, 5.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - NBC Sport / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Also check out: The Complete French Open 2020 Schedule
Dominic Thiem vs Jack Sock preview
Newly-crowned Slam champion Dominic Thiem will be looking to continue his winning ways when he faces USA's Jack Sock in his second-round match at Roland Garros on Wednesday.
The Austrian didn't play the Italian Open or the Hamburg Open in the lead-up to Paris, deciding instead to give himself some well-deserved rest after winning his first Major at the US Open. That seems to have paid off, as Thiem looked in full flow in his first-round match against a familiar foe.
The Austrian defeated Marin Cilic for the second time at a Major this month, where he hit 17 winners and won 51% of his second return points. Cilic had a good start in the third set, having led Thiem by a break, but the World No. 3 struck back quickly and wrapped up the match in straights.
Thiem's next opponent might prove to be a tougher match-up than Cilic. Jack Sock has had a bit of a resurgence this season, having reached the final of the Indian Wells Challenger earlier in the year.
Due to his low ranking of No. 310, Sock was forced to enter the French Open qualifiers. But the former World No. 8 not only qualified for the event, but also ousted his countryman Reilly Opelka in the first round.
Sock is far from the player that he was when he won the Paris Masters in 2017. But he has always enjoyed playing on clay, and his forehand is still a lethal weapon on the surface.
Dominic Thiem vs Jack Sock head-to-head
Dominic Thiem leads Jack Sock by a slender margin of 3-2 in the head-to-head. Their most recent encounter came at the Paris Masters two years ago, where then-defending champion Sock lost to Thiem in the quarterfinals.
The pair's match at Roland Garros will be their first on clay.
Dominic Thiem vs Jack Sock prediction
Dominic Thiem has made some deep runs at the Slams lately with a more composed game than before. The Austrian was often chided in the past for being a 'ball-basher', but he now hits his groundstrokes with less haste and more precision.
In his opening round match, Thiem was seen hitting some penetrating groundstrokes to gain control of rallies before finishing them with scorching kill shots.
Jack Sock meanwhile hit 28 winners in his first-round match, and has one of the heaviest forehands on the tour himself. The American is also adept at volleying, but has a rather poor backhand.
If Sock intends to trouble the World No. 3, he will have to keep hitting big forehands to Thiem's backhand. But given the fact that the Austrian's backhand has improved at handling high-bouncing balls, he might not have much to worry about during his second-round outing.
Prediction: Dominic Thiem to win in straight sets.
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