Welcome back, Sebi

Let's hope Korda can stay injury-free, cause his tennis is very pleasing to the eye...

Korda played an entertaining match yesterday against the in-form Majchrzak. It was a high-quality match throughout, with both players excelling on their own serve and engaging in numerous good rallies, showcasing a considerable amount of tactical acumen. It was Korda who was up 3-0 in the Set 1 tiebreak but managed to lose the next 7 points in a row. He was able to bounce back for sets 2 and 3, especially saving 15-40 while serving for the second set (with some clutch serving). In set 3, he also showed some clutch play in the pressure moments. Korda's biggest weakness has, without a doubt, always been his tendency to struggle in high-pressure situations, and it was encouraging to see some clutch play from him! Korda had two MTOs (in sets 1 and 2) to get his thighs massaged. Kecmanovic got pretty much a walking BYE in Darderi, who was clearly feeling the long match against McDonald. Darderi went all-in with basically every shot for the entire match; he was absolutely spent and tried to hit winners from every position on the court.

On paper, this matchup could definitely trouble Kecmanovic. Korda's serve and attacking tennis is what Kecmanovic tends to struggle with... and Korda tends to do well against Solid Baseliners like Kecmanovic. I was encouraged by the tennis displayed by Korda yesterday, even more so by his being clutch for a change. It was clear that the match meant a lot to Korda, who was very vocal - something that is quite unusual. If we keep getting that version of Korda (more clutch and a bit more "engaged"), watch out! As for Kecmanovic, I'm not yet convinced by his wins. He's done his part, but he hasn't faced the toughest challenges in Kovacevic and a tired Darderi. Prior to this tournament, he has been quite average...