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Jack Sock, John Isner splash out at Australian Open

By Harry Floyd

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 15: Yuichi Sugita (L) of Japan is congratulated by Jack Sock of the United States after winning his first round match on day one of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 15, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 15: Yuichi Sugita (L) of Japan is congratulated by Jack Sock of the United States after winning his first round match on day one of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 15, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images) /
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Jack Sock and John Isner both see early upsets at the 2018 Australian Open. They were among the top American contenders in men’s singles.

Jack Sock is a rising star in American men’s tennis. The 25-year-old kicks off the 2018 ATP World Tour as the world No. 9 in men’s singles. Sock, however, is out early at the Australian Open.

Japan’s Yuichi Sugita knocks out the eighth seed at Melbourne Park. While several American women also saw early exits, Sock’s loss makes the possibility of a US champion even slimmer. He drops his match with Sugita 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-3.

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Veteran American tennis star John Isner is also headed home early from Melbourne Park. Isner has reached the fourth round of play twice before throughout his successful career. Coming in as the 16th seed at the Grand Slam event, Isner falls to Australian Matthew Ebden.

Matthew Ebden takes his match over John Isner, winning 6-4 3-6 6-4 6-3.

The 2017 Australian Open saw an all-American women’s singles final between sisters Serena and Venus Williams. Venus is out after dropping her opening match this weekend. Also losing is rising star Sloane Stephens. She was the 13th seed.

It has been a rough start for the Americans at Melbourne Park. Still to play is Sam Querrey who enters the year as the world No. 13 in men’s singles. He takes on Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez during his Australian opening round match. Querrey has advanced to the third round of play at Melbourne Park five times throughout his career. He made headline last year when he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon and then the quarterfinals at the US Open. His strong finish on the 2017 ATP World Tour makes him an interesting pick this year at the Australian Open.

Next: Top 10: Men's Singles Tennis

Jack Sock will need to rebound quickly from his loss if he hopes to remain among the top 10 in men’s singles tennis. He saw a fantastic start to his 2017 tour and must prove that he can consistently play at a high level throughout the season. Elsewhere, top seeded Rafael Nadal takes his opening match in straight sets. The Spanish superstar is looking to avenge his runner-up finish from last year. Swiss great Roger Federer is the defending champion in men’s singles. Stay tuned to see how all of the action unfolds throughout the rest of the first round at Melbourne Park.

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