By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday January 21, 2023
Sebastian Korda has straightforward energy, the flexibility to take the ball early and on the rise, compact, repeatable strokes on each wings, and – for a bonus prize – an especially constructive perspective.
It’s been no secret that the 22-year-old has had some bother closing out massive matches over the past yr. He squandered a 5-2 double break lead in opposition to Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells final yr and, extra lately, held a match level in opposition to Novak Djokovic within the Adelaide last earlier than shedding in three units.
But Korda shouldn’t be about to hold his head. The Thirty first-ranked American is aware of it will solely trigger him extra issues, in spite of everything.
After notching his greatest profession win by rating – and his first Top-10 win at a Grand Slam – over seventh-seeded Daniil Medvedev on Friday night time in Melbourne, Korda talked about his overflowing positivity.
“I didn’t feel anything during the match,” he stated. “I just really, really worked hard on zero negative thoughts. Throughout this whole year, I haven’t had one negative thought, whether it’s waiting for transportation to go to the courts, whether it’s eating lunch, whether it’s doing anything.”
Big win for Seb Korda. Beating somebody pretty much as good and as slam examined as Medvedev is huge. 3 out of 5 is a unique animal, and he answered the decision. Very spectacular in opposition to one of many hardest 5 set outs
— andyroddick (@andyroddick) January 20, 2023
Enjoy watching Korda play loads. So easy. Doesn’t hesitate to return ahead and volley. Refreshing
— Jamie Murray (@jamie_murray) January 20, 2023
Korda says that the facility of constructive considering is likely one of the greatest variations within the 2023 model of himself.
“That’s one of the biggest things, just having a new motto of positive energy is more positive than negative energy. As soon as you get something negative, it can take you the opposite direction,” he stated, including: “Anything that happens, just thinking in the most positive possible way, just going forward. Same thing in the match. Losing my serve after being 40-15 up, you know, it’s okay, next point. Don’t worry, keep going, do your thing.”
Korda, who has assembled a formidable teaching staff that features his father Petr, a former Grand Slam champion, in addition to Radek Stepanek and Andre Agassi (in a mentor’s position), says that it’s his mom’s affect on the subject of his positivity.
His mom, Regina, was a former World No.26 who has additionally performed a big position in shaping Korda’s buttery easy floor strokes.
“My mom is always really big on having a good attitude,” he stated. “I just try to take it one step further, just try to do it all the time. Especially bringing in two new coaches, Martin Stepanek and Radek Stepanek. They’re really big into that. So I think it’s playing a big role in my game right now. It’s working really well.”
Korda, who’s into the spherical of 16 at a serious for the third time, and the primary time in Australia, will face Tenth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland within the spherical of 16.
Hurkacz defeated the American of their lone assembly, within the finals at Delray Beach in January of 2021.