The biggest victory of Sebastian Korda’s career came on Sunday when he overcame Hubert Hurkacz, the 10th seed, in five intense sets to go to the Australian Open quarterfinals.
Sebastian Korda Wins
With a back-and-forth triumph over the Polish star, the 29th seed reached the final eight at a Grand Slam for the first time, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) in the process. For a spot in the semi-finals, Sebastian Korda will compete against Karen Khachanov.
“Awesome. Without you people, I could not have succeeded. You guys propelled me forward, I didn’t have a lot of energy toward the fourth and fifth, but you people really helped me out, and I don’t think it would have been possible today without you guys, so thank you!” Sebastian Korda spoke to the crowd.
Daniil Medvedev, a two-time Australian Open finalist, was eliminated by the American in the third round after an almost faultless straight-sets performance. He followed up the victory by giving a tough effort inside Rod Laver Arena against the Wimbledon semi-finalist from 2021.
It was challenging, but he said, “I’m extremely thrilled with the way I just kind of remained down and continued working through it,” Sebastian Korda said.
Since Andy Roddick previously achieved the feat in 2010, Korda is the third American to get to the season’s first Grand Slam quarterfinals. Since then, Frances Tiafoe and Tennys Sandgren have both advanced to the last eight.
A first-ever spot in the Australian Open quarterfinals was on the line for both men in the finale, which was dramatic after four sets that were largely uncomplicated. Radek Stepanek, Korda’s coach and elder brother to him, was out of his seat after almost every point in the fifth set, which was a clear indication of the tenseness in the player’s box. The Czech kept his opponent motivated and made an effort to include the crowd sometimes during the game.
At 5-5, Hurkacz won two break points. The Pole would have served to go to the quarterfinals if he had converted. However, Korda played with steely grit to avoid danger.
There were several shifts of momentum throughout the crucial tie-break. During one period, Sebastian Korda won six straight points but then saw his advantage disappear. He maintained his composure, though, and finished off his triumph with a flawless backhand passing shot up the line.
“With the towel, I had a tiny bit of superstition. Towel helped me get through it “As Sebastian Korda spoke, the audience began to giggle. I simply continued going to the towel since I always won the point when I did.
Although Hurkacz won rallies of 0-4 shots by a score of 93-84, Korda is known for his aggressive style. The American won a 62-51 advantage in points with more than four shots. Three times, each man broke the serve.
Next, against Khachanov, Korda will attempt to win his third straight match in the ATP Head2Head series (Korda leads the series 2-1). At Wimbledon in 2021, Khachanov prevailed 10-8 in the fifth set of their most famous match, which included 19 service breaks.
