NEW YORK – It's incredibly hot in
New York, 93-degrees Fahrenheit with 38 percent humidity. With little
shade guarding the courts, it feels more like 100 degrees. Players have
been cramping all week, but Jack Sock became the worst victim on
Thursday.
The 28th seed had to be carried off the court after retiring midway through the fourth set.
Sock, 22, won the first two sets,
6-4, 6-4. By the third set he started to cramp, allowing Belgium's
Ruben Bemelmans to take one back. He received medical treatment between
sets. Then, trailing 1-2 in the fourth, Sock had to call it quits. He
froze after a serve, his leg completely locked up.
Sock sat down with the help of a
trainer. He barely lifted his arm to shake Bemelman's hand when the
Belgian walked over to Sock's end of the court.
The USTA later released a statement saying that Sock suffered from heat illness complicated by cramping.
"Playing in the US Open is
the biggest and most important moment of the season for me, so having to
retire from my match today is extremely disappointing," Sock said in
the statement. "I want to thank everyone for their support and can't
wait to be back next year. I feel better already and look forward to
playing Davis Cup."
No. 16 Sara Errani nearly became
the day's first victim of the heat. Earlier Thursday, she battled
dizziness and needed medical attention after the fifth game of the first
set. She managed to overcome it, winning 0-6, 6-4, 6-3. In her press
conference, she said the air conditioning at her New York hotel has been
too powerful. As a result, she hasn’t been feeling well.
As Sock was helped off of the
Grandstand court by the medical team, No. 5 Stan Wawrinka was battling
with a teenager next door on Armstrong.
Hyeon Chung forced the 2015 French Open champion to tiebreaks in
every set, but Wawrinka won all three. Wawrinka's serve made the
difference, as he notched 26 aces to Chung's three. To continue moving
on, Wawrinka will have to clean up his game. He had 66 unforced errors
in the win.
In women's action, No. 2 Simona
Halep defeated qualifier Kateryna Bondarenko, 6-3, 6-4 and No. 20
Victoria Azarenka, No. 22 Sam Stosur, No. 11 Angelique Kerber, and No.
18 Andrea Petkovic all advanced in straight sets.
In the major upset of the
morning, No. 9 Garbine Muguruza – the young Spaniard who challenged
Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final – fell to qualifier Johanna
Konta, 7-6, 6-7, 6-2. The match lasted three hours and 23 minutes,
making it the longest women's match since tiebreakers were introduced in
1970. Muguruza had advanced to at least the fourth round in this year's
other majors.