In a late-night all-American battle at the Western & Southern Open, it was
Sebastian Korda who got the better of
Frances Tiafoe to advance to the round of 16.
Korda fought back from losing the first set to pull off a 4-6 6-1 6-4 victory, relying on his speed and shot placement to outplay his compatriot. Tiafoe was the superior player in the first set, hitting six aces and never facing a break point. The World No.25 was quick to bounce on his second break point opportunity, using it to establish a one-set lead over his good friend.
Nonetheless, it was Korda who was the more aggressive player in the second set, relentless attaching his opponent's second serves. This allowed him to win a stunning 8 of 12 points behind Tiafoe's second serve, leading to a double break as he raced through the second set.
The decider saw both men remain even until Tiafoe began to run out of gas, as Korda applied more pressure from the baseline. Although there was an exchange of breaks, it was Korda who resumed his attack on Tiafoe's second serve. This led to another break for the 22 year old, before he calmly served out the match after two hours and six minutes.
The World No.52 is set to face another friend and compatriot in John Isner, as the towering American outgunned eighth seed Hubert Hurkacz to reach the round of 16.