BREAKING NEWS: American hotshot Sebastian Korda has produced a major upset to oust 2022 finalist Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open – with the 22-year-old reaching the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time in his career
Sebastian Korda produced the most impressive win of his career to oust two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open.
The 22-year-old, ranked 31st in the world, had yet to reach the fourth round in Melbourne but it rarely looked in doubt after a good start ended in a 7-6, 6-3, 7 -6 wins.
Medvedev, who required a medical time-out earlier in the tournament, has struggled to find any rhythm that will take him to the final in 2021 and 2022, with US hotshot Korda ruthless.
It was a nip-and-tuck opener with Korda racing to a 4-1 lead following two early breaks of serve.
Medvedev would answer two breaks of his own and it forced a thrilling first-set tiebreak that, after much back-and-forth, saw Korda 9-7 in a set that lasted 85 minutes.
Korda had a 0-1 record before Friday morning against Russian high-flyer Medvedev, who lost their only meeting in 2021 at the Paris Masters.
The American’s slice game from deep to the baseline caused havoc for the big-hitting Medvedev and Korda, despite his Slams inexperience, looked on cruise control.
Playing with his opponent he raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set, fending off a break point opportunity in the first game of the second set to do so.
Korda’s first serves started to become more erratic – he was only on 52 percent of them – but he would take the second set 6-3, putting him one set away from the first fourth round that look in Melbourne.
Korda looked destined to lose when he went 4-0 up in the third but he tripped and Medvedev, a former world No 1, responded to level it at 4-4. Both men held serve to force a tiebreak but in the end the American stuck to his guns and delivered the best win of his career.
He will face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz next.
‘Thanks for the atmosphere and support, you guys are great,’ Korda said afterwards.
‘That was an incredible match. I pretty much know what I need to do and I stick with it when emotions are up and down. It was an amazing match for me.’
Asked what his game plan was to counter Medvedev’s dictation from the baseline, he simply added: ‘Just go for it!’
He continued: ‘I love playing Australia, my family love playing Australia so it’s great.’
MORE TO COME.
