By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, October 12, 2024
The most effective parental presents aren’t at all times wrapped in a field.
The son of tennis professionals, Sebastian Korda cites the best reward his mother and father gave him: the ability of self-belief.
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So when Korda squandered 5 match factors within the decisive tiebreaker to Ben Shelton in at present’s all-American conflict, he did not press the panic button.
The 23-year-old Korda tuned into the parental muse staying cool, trusting his photographs and ending with a excessive forehand volley edging Shelton 6-7(10), 6-2, 7-6(6) to succeed in his maiden Masters 1000 semifinal in Shanghai.
Although neither Sebastian Korda’s dad, former world No. 2 Petr Korda, nor his mother, world No. 26 Regina Korda, had been within the stands in Shanghai at present, the son felt their presence at crunch time.
“That is in all probability one of many largest issues of getting a father who performed tennis was to type of perceive sure moments,” Sebastian Korda informed the media in Shanghai. “I feel in these sure moments you bought to remain actually calm. You possibly can have such an enormous lead like that and you possibly can simply fully panic or get tremendous down on your self and simply get misplaced.
“I feel that is one of many largest issues each my mother and father actually taught me is to, , one, is to at all times imagine in your self, regardless of the scenario, to simply actually go after it.
“No matter occurs, occurs, you simply bought to imagine in your self, go after it, and simply benefit from the second.”
A gritty win propels Korda into his third straight semifinal and a Shanghai semifinal showdown with Hubert Hurkacz.
Final January, Sebastian Korda upset Daniil Medvedev and Hurkacz in succession advancing to his first profession Grand Slam quarterfinal on the Australian Open.
Twenty-five years after his father, Petr Korda, defeated Marcelo Rios to seize the 1998 Australian Open title, 2018 AO boys’ champion Sebastian Korda was flying excessive within the nation the place his sisters, golfers Nelly Korda and Jessica Korda, have each received LPGA majors.
“I am undoubtedly the worst athlete in my household,” Korda joked throughout his AO run.
One win from a Masters last, Sebastian Korda shared his final tennis dream: defeat dad’s report and win two Grand Slam titles.
“Clearly, I might like to be higher than my dad,” Sebastian Korda mentioned. “My final aim in tennis is to win two Grand Slams, another than my dad.
“That is simply, , little issues like that, however I do not assume there’s any stress. I simply actually love taking part in tennis, and simply actually having lots of enjoyable proper now.”
Picture credit score: Daniel Pockett/Getty
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