Sebastian Korda wants to chase big victories after breakthrough Miami run

The young gun Sebastian Korda played only his second Masters 1000 event in Miami, making a breakthrough run and reaching the quarter-final as the youngest American since 2003. Sebastian defeated Radu Albot before a notable victory over Fabio Fognini for the place in the third round. The American stormed over the Australian Open semi-finalist Aslan Karatsev after losing only three games and prevailed against the top-10 player Diego Schwartzman to find himself in the last eight. The youngster gave his best against another top-10 rival Andrey Rublev, pushing the Russian to the limits before falling 7-5, 7-6 in an hour and 42 minutes. Sebastian earned two breaks and suffered three breaks, losing ground in the pivotal moments to finish his run in the quarters and gain 22 positions on the ATP list. After a notable appearance against the better-ranked opponents, Sebastian feels eager to chase more impressive victories in the rest of the season and improve his game and ranking.

Sebastian Korda reached the first Masters 1000 quarter-final in Miami.

"I feel comfortable playing against these bigger guys. This week showed me that I can keep up and play with the biggest names in tennis. It was a positive week, both in singles and in doubles. I had a lot of fun in doubles with my partner Michael Mmoh. I will take a lot from this, and hopefully, I can play some good tennis on the clay now. I think one of the best things was the break that we had. It helped me focus on my body, and fortunately, we had a tennis court right next to our house. We were all healthy and staying safe. That was a massive thing for me.

I just got in many reps, and I think that shows in my game right now that I'm a lot more consistent. I can keep up with these bigger guys. I think that's one of the biggest things. I also think skipping out on the Australian swing was also important, as I played many matches; that improved my level. Since I was a kid, my mom taught me how important it is to have a poker face and not show negative emotions. I can't thank her enough, as I believe it is a massive strength for me when the opponent doesn't know what's going on on the other side of the court," Sebastian Korda said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3rTe7rM