Antwerp 2022: Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | European Open
Match Details
Fixture: (4) Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda.
Date: October 20, 2022.
Tournament: European Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Antwerp, Belgium.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: €648,130.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda preview
After a first-round bye, Karen Khachanov will take on World No. 36 Sebastian Korda in the second round of the 2022 European Open.
Khachanov has put together a pretty decent season this far. He started the year with a runner-up finish at the Adelaide International 1, losing to Gael Monfils in the final. He also reached the semifinals of the Qatar Open and the Serbia Open. But the highlight of the Russian's year has been a semifinal finish at the US Open, his first at a Major.
Khachanov defeated Denis Kudla, Thiago Monteiro, Jack Draper, Pablo Carreno Busta and Nick Kyrgios before losing to Casper Ruud in New York. He then returned to action a month later at the Astana Open, where he made it to the quarterfinals.
Sebastian Korda's first-round opponent in Antwerp was fellow American Marcos Giron. The 22-year old broke his opponent's serve in the very first game of the match and did the same towards the end of the opening set as well to claim it.
The duo defended their serve quite well in the second set, with Korda being the only one to come up with a break point, which he failed to convert. The set then went into a tie-break, with Giron winning seven points in a row to take it and force a decider.
The pair traded service breaks to start the third set, but remained solid on serve for the next few games. Korda raised his level during the closing stages of the match, bagging the last three games in a row to win the encounter 6-3, 6-7 (0), 6-4.
Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda head-to-head
The two have split their couple of meetings evenly so far to tie the head-to-head at 1-1. Korda won their previous encounter at the 2022 Western & Southern Open in straight sets.
Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda odds
Odds sourced from Oddschecker.
Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda prediction
Korda is fresh off a runner-up finish at the Gijon Open over the weekend and managed to come out on top in a tough opening round contest here as well. He was tested by Giron, but dug deep when the occasion called for it. He finished the match with 37 winners and 21 unforced errors.
Their previous encounter took place a couple of months ago, with Korda barely breaking a sweat over the course of a routine victory. Khachanov never really got going and his serve, arguably the best part of his game completely let him down. The Russian will be keen to avoid a repeat of that.
Both players can trade blows from the baseline and seem well-matched in that department against each other. Korda has been playing some brilliant tennis since last week and with the momentum on his side, he'll be the favorite heading into this encounter.
Pick: Sebastian Korda to win in three sets.
Also Check Out: Sebastian Korda Net Worth