Isner, Sock Duo Wins Second Men’s Doubles Title

Americans John Isner and Jack Sock are the BNP Paribas Open Men’s Doubles champions for the second time in a span of four years, 7-6(4), 6-3 winners over the unseeded Mexican-French pairing of Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Sock. “To win this thing is always a good feeling, and to do it with basically a big brother is an ever better feeling.”

After squeaking through the first-set tiebreak, the No. 2-seeds Isner/Sock broke for 2-0 in the second and never trailed thereafter.

Isner, who also reached the Round of 16 in the singles draw, has shown some versatility at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

“You can’t replicate matches. Even though it’s not singles, you can’t replicate it,” said Isner. “Hopefully Jack and I can use this to our advantage. Four years ago when we won this, I went on to win Miami in singles. That’s going to be a tall task to do that again, but it did feel like we had a little unfinished business this year, because last year in October I had to skip town for the birth of my son 30 minutes before our second round match. It’s good to come back here with Jack. We were fortunate enough to get a wildcard, and we won it all.”

Sock, who also captured the Indian Wells doubles crown in 2015 (with Canada’s Vasek Pospisil), is again healthy and rounding into the kind of form that saw him rise to No. 8 in the singles rankings in 2017. In the singles draw, he pushed No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas to a third-set tiebreak in the second round before falling, 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(5).

“I feel great,” he said. “I played some great singles here, too. I wasn’t able to get it done against one of the best players in our game, but I think I’m definitely back to some of my best form if not ever. I feel more mature, more patient out there. I’m ready to do some damage again.”