KORDA-FINALS! 🤩 Sebi Korda defeats compatriot Tiafoe 7-6 6-3 to reach the last 8 at @QueensTennis! #cinchChampionships
Sebastian Korda defeated Frances Tiafoe in the second round of the Queen's Club Championship by 7-6(2), 6-3.
The 22-year-old American tennis player is gradually finding his form again. Earlier this year, he had a great run at the 2023 Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinals, where a physical issue forced him to retire when he was trailing 6-7(5), 3-6, 0-3 against Russian Karen Khachanov.
It was expected that Korda would quickly rise in the rankings and become one of the most dangerous players on the tour. However, shortly after, he suffered a wrist injury that kept him out of the game for several months.
His return to the tour at the Rome Open hasn't been as fruitful until now, but he has now achieved back-to-back victories for the first time since the Aussie Open. After defeating the local player Daniel Evans in the first round, he has now beaten American Frances Tiafoe, who made his top-10 debut this week.
Korda recorded 15 aces, had a 55% first serve percentage, winning 90% of those points. His 25 winners compared to Tiafoe's 9 demonstrate the aggressiveness with which Korda played in this match, and it will undoubtedly give him a boost for the upcoming weeks, just before the start of Wimbledon.
This victory also allows him to return to the top 30 in the rankings and secures his seeding position at Wimbledon, regardless of the result he achieves in the quarterfinals. There, he will face the local player and fifth seed, Cameron Norrie, who has just defeated Jordan Thompson in the round of 16.
KORDA-FINALS! 🤩 Sebi Korda defeats compatriot Tiafoe 7-6 6-3 to reach the last 8 at @QueensTennis! #cinchChampionships