Two big stories on the men’s side of the draw at the Racquet Club of the South on Friday: the epic match between Rhyne Williams and Bobby Reynolds, and the retirement of Jack Sock due to severe cramping on an indoor court. Reynolds will not repeat as a Wild Card Champion, as he was taken down by Williams 4-6, 6-4, 10-8. It was an 18 game 3rd set with at least three ten minute games.
Sock started strong, and had a 4-0 lead in the 3rd before making his pain evident to the crowd.
Ginepri looked great on court against Steve Johnson, and showed no signs of the squirrel-induced injury which cost him a year of his career. He was literally in the cat bird’s seat, chillaxing and watching his two potential semifinals opponents grind each other down in the 18 game third set.
Jesse Levine had no problem with Daniel Kosakowki.
Williams was gracious in victory and seemed so sedate. It is possible that the pending class action suit filed against him by tennis racquets everywhere has tempered him.
It is obvious that the editorial content of this article is being influenced by exhaustion, so we’ll stop the post here. We still have match video and pressers to edit and upload. Any moment now, this is going to turn into an Austrian Open report, and you’ll wonder why Tennis Maryland is reporting that Tamira Paszek and Thomas Muster are camping out together on Stone Mountain.
G’night, mates!
Tennis Atlantic 
Return Serve?