Australian Open 2024: Sebastian Korda vs Quentin Halys preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (29) Sebastian Korda vs Quentin Halys
Date: January 17, 2024
Tournament: Australian Open 2024
Round: Second round (Round of 64)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard (Outdoor)
Prize Money: A$86,500,000
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Sports & Sony Liv | Canada - TSN & RDS
Sebastian Korda vs Quentin Halys preview
Twenty-ninth seed Sebastian Korda will square off against Quentin Halys in the second round of the 2024 Australian Open on Wednesday.
Korda was drawn against qualifier Vit Kopriva in the first round. He dropped just one game in the opening set to capture it with ease. The second set was more competitive as the American let go of an early break advantage, but bagged the last three games of the set to take it.
The two were on even footing until 2-2 in the third set, after which Kopriva swept the next four games to claim the set. Korda struck first in the fourth set to go 2-0 up, but the Czech overcame that deficit to grab another set and level the proceedings.
Kopriva was on the verge of pulling a stunning comeback as he led 2-0 in the decider. However, Korda got back on track as he reeled off six straight games to win the match 6-1, 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2.
Halys, too, faced a qualifier in the first round as he took on Lloyd Harris. The Frenchman blew a 3-1 lead in the opening set as his opponent turned the tables on him to nab the set.
Halys then came out on top in the tie-break to take the second set. The third set almost went to a tie-break as well, but he managed to break Harris' serve towards the very end to clinch another set. The fourth set did go to a tie-break, and the Frenchman gained the upper hand in it to score a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (2) win.
Sebastian Korda vs Quentin Halys head-to-head
The two have not crossed paths on the tour before this, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Sebastian Korda vs Quentin Halys odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Sebastian Korda vs Quentin Halys prediction
Korda looked to be in control against Kopriva but then had to dig deep to stage an escape act. He recovered nicely in the fifth set as he won six games on the trot. That's the kind of level he'll need to display from start to finish to avoid getting dragged into such close battles.
Halys overcame a first-set stumble to down Harris in four competitive sets. With a total of 57 winners against just 33 unforced errors, he played a clean match. Korda, in contrast, struck 33 winners but committed 49 unforced errors.
Korda was a quarterfinalist in Melbourne last year and has shown that he's capable of going toe-to-toe with the best. Halys, on the other hand, has a 5-26 career record against top-50 opposition. Given his opponent's struggles against higher-ranked players, the American will be favored to advance further.
Pick: Sebastian Korda to win in four sets.