Australian Open 2023: Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (18) Karen Khachanov vs (29) Sebastian Korda
Date: January 23, 2023
Tournament: Australian Open 2023
Round: Quarter-finals
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: A$76,500,000
Live telecasts: USA - ESPN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Ten & Sony Liv
Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda preview
The quarter-finals at the 2023 Australian Open will see Karen Khachanov and Sebastian Korda clash, vying for a spot in last-four for the first time in their careers.
For Khachanov, the 18th seed at this year's tournament, it is completely unchartered territory as he reached the semi-finals at a Grand Slam before — at the US Open last year. Against a relative greenhorn at this level, the Russian has a great opportunity to make it two in a row.
Playing in his seventh consecutive Australian Open, Khachanov has gotten the better of Frances Tiafoe and Yoshihito Nishioka and the likes.
Korda, meanwhile, comes into the tournament having only played sporadically in 2022 due to injury issues. He has, however, shown surprisingly little rust in 2023 — having already reached a final in Adelaide and beaten two top-10 seeds here at the Melbourne Park.
His biggest wins have come against big-serving names in the form of Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hukracz. He has been absolutely clinical in the big moments and could well give Khachanov a few things to think about on Tuesday.
Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda head-to-head
Sebastian Korda leads Karen Khachanov in their current head-to-head with a slender 2-1 margin. All three of the duo's previous encounters have been keenly-contested affairs.
Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda odds
(Odds to be updated soon)
Karen Khachanov vs Sebastian Korda prediction
Karen Khachanov employs aggressive baseline-oriented game that is tailor-made for quick hardcourts. This week, he has managed to blow his opponents off the court with his big serve and clean hitting off the ground.
In his last match, Khachanov won a whopping 90 percent of his first serve points and hit plenty of winners — especially off that lethal forehand wing. He will once again step out on court looking to be an aggressor.
The Russian, however, will need to be wary of the versatile Sebastian Korda — who has absorbed all the pace being thrown at him this week and has been brave enough to mix his shot selection and come into the net to finish points off quick.
Another area where Korda holds a slight edge is handling the pressure situation well. He has eked out wins in all the tiebreakers that he has played this week, including one in the fifth set against Hukracz.
It will be interesting to see how Khachanov handles the big points, given that he is the favorite on paper. His power gives him an edge, but it may well come down to his self-belief. If he tightens or cedes space to his opponent at any point, Korda definitely has the weapons needed to punish him.
Prediction: Khachanov to win in five sets