"There were definitely no secrets during our match" - Korda on defeating Nishikori in Halle

It has been a rather successful season for Sebastian Korda, as the young American booked his spot in the quarterfinals of the Noventi Open after defeating Kei Nishikori on Thursday.

The 20-year old required two hours and 37 minutes to obtain the 2-6 6-3 7-5 victory, putting on an impressive performance as he rallied from a set down to defeat the former World No.4.

“We know each other’s games so well, and he has watched me play since I started playing tennis, so there were definitely no secrets during our match,” Korda said after the match. “It was just a mental battle and I stayed really calm in the big moments, saving lots of break points, and then I managed to win one at 5-5 and serve it out."

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After reaching his first ATP final at Delray Beach earlier this year, Korda won his maiden tour-level title at the Parma Open in May. The World No.52 has acquired an impressive 18-8 record this season, and seems to have discovered his form over the last few weeks.

“It has been super fun this week," added Korda. "It is pretty close to where I usually practice in Europe, so we drove over from Prague, and it has such a homely feel here, so it has been an honor.”

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Awaiting Korda is Ugo Humbert, as the Frenchman upset third seed Alexander Zverev to advance to the quarterfinals.