Sock, Klinger victorious in Premier debut as Hustlers outlast Sliders
PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA - Thursday’s final match on Championship Court at Lifetime Peachtree Corners began with a first look at the New York Hustlers 2024 squad and ended with them walking it off with a Dreambreaker victory against the Columbus Sliders.
The bout marked the first MLP match for Jack Sock, who earned a key mixed doubles victory alongside Jackie Kawamoto.
“We didn’t get too many opportunities to be on a team in tennis, so I’ve been looking forward to this for a while now,” he said of competing in a team environment.
On top of his highly entertaining, hyper athletic game style, the three-time doubles Grand Slam champion is also focused on bringing positive energy to his teammates.
“I’m always having a good time on court, and hopefully that can rub off on our team and have a positive impact and influence on everyone,” Sock shared.
The night also brought a first for Sock’s teammate, C.J. Klinger. The 18-year-old made his Premier debut and earned the winning singles point against Riley Newman.
That deciding Dreambreaker was a true team effort for the Hustlers.
They watched as an early 6-0 lead evaporated when the Sliders tied things up at 12, but strong back-to-back rotations from Lea Jansen and Jackie Kawamoto sparked a 7-1 run that would help New York close out the match.
The Hustlers will next face the Dallas Flash on Friday, while the Sliders will have off until Saturday when they play the AZ Drive.
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