Sebastian Korda has pulled off a stunning 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 win against the Miami Open champion
Sebastian Korda has caused a major upset in the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters. The American defeats outright favorite Carlos Alcaraz in their Round of 32 matches. Carlos Alcaraz went into the match seeded eighth and was expected to win easily. Korda however had other plans and put up a stellar show to stun the superior seed. Sebastian Korda is coached by his father and former Australian Open Champion, Petr Korda.
Sebastian Korda is presently placed 41st in the ATP rankings and is unseeded in the tournament. He faced an uphill task against the in-form World No.11 Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz came into the tournament with the added confidence of winning the recently concluded Miami Masters ATP 1000 tournament.
Korda fought hard right from the start of the match, doing his best to hold his serves. He eventually won the first set in the tiebreaker. Alcaraz showed his class and displayed nerves of steel to win the tiebreaker in the second set. In the deciding third set, Korda managed to break Alcaraz early. He suffered no further hiccups to complete an incredible victory.
Alcaraz became the youngest ever champion of the Miami Masters ATP 1000 event earlier this month. Carlos Alcaraz is on the brink of breaking into the Top 10 of ATP Rankings. After his Miami Open victory, Carlos Alcaraz is now ranked 11th in the world. The teenager has seen a drastic rise in his net worth and career ranking after an incredible show in Florida.
Alcaraz has been very consistent in 2022 so far and had a winning record of 18-2 this year before this match. However, Alcaraz fails to continue his winning streak after this loss to Korda. Alcaraz is considered one of the strongest players on clay and this loss will raise concerns ahead of the all-important Roland Garros starting next month.
Alcaraz will look to bounce back strong in Paris next month. Earlier this year, Alcaraz won the Rio Open. The tournament was played on a clay surface, a good warm-up event leading up to the Roland Garros. Alcaraz became the youngest ever ATP 500 champion after defeating Diego Schwartzmann 6-4, 6-2 in the final. Alcaraz however would need to be careful about his fitness leading to the second Grand Slam of the year. The Spaniard withdrew from the next event, the Acapulco Open in Mexico owing to a niggle he suffered post the Rio Open. He would look to ensure he stays fit and on top of his game going into the French Open with a packed schedule.
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