Estoril Open 2022: Sebastian Korda vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (8) Sebastian Korda vs (Q) Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Date: 26 April 2022.
Tournament: Estoril Open 2022.
Round: First Round (Round of 32).
Venue: Clube de Ténis do Estoril.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Outdoor clay.
Prize money: €534,555.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Sebastian Korda vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert preview
Eighth seed Sebastian Korda will take on qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round of the 2022 Estoril Open on Tuesday.
Korda started his clay season at the Monte-Carlo Masters. He defeated Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets in the first round and was the underdog against Carlos Alcaraz in the second round. The American stunned the in-form teenager in three sets to knock him out of the tournament.
Korda then lost a close match to compatriot Taylor Fritz in the third round, going down 7-6(4), 7-5.
He next competed at the Barcelona Open, where he was expected to easily win his opening-round contest against Carlos Taberner, but instead suffered a lopsided 6-3, 6-0 loss. The American will now be aiming to bounce back from that disappointing defeat.
UPSET ALERT 
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Carlos Taberner beats Sebastian Korda 6-3 6-0 on home soil to advance in Barcelona!
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Pierre-Hugues Herbert is mainly a doubles specialist, although he has the game to trouble the best singles players on the ATP tour.
Herbert failed to make it past the qualifying rounds of the men's singles event at the Barcelona Open, but got past that hurdle in Estoril.
Pierre Hugues Herbert is the last player to qualify for the main draw, beating Fernando Verdasco, 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-2.
Verdasco will now enter the lucky loser draw with Taberner… https://t.co/f5H3Z8SOVY
Herbert started off with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Alexei Popyrin. He then came out on top in a tough three-set encounter against former top-10 player Fernando Verdasco to advance to the main draw.
Sebastian Korda vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert head-to-head
They've faced off once before, with Korda leading 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their only encounter in straight sets at the 2021 Lyon Open.
Sebastian Korda vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Sebastian Korda vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert prediction
While Herbert is primarily a doubles player, he has carved out a decent career for himself in singles as well. The Frenchman has reached four finals in singles and has occasionally upset top players as well.
Korda has had some decent results this year, but his loss against Taberner in Barcelona was pretty dismal. His serving stats left a lot to be desired, as he won just 45% and 38% of his first and second serve points respectively. The American's serve is a crucial aspect of his game, so when it doesn't click, it all falls apart.
But it wasn't just Korda's serve that led to his downfall last week as his ground game didn't do any damage whatsoever.
If he doesn't put up a better performance, Herbert will certainly have a shot at winning. The Frenchman's extensive doubles experience will help him out as well. He has won two titles at Roland Garros in doubles, so he's no slouch on clay.
Korda is the bigger hitter between the two and his powerful groundstrokes could make things difficult for Herbert. While he had an off-day at the Barcelona Open, it's quite unlikely that he'll commit the same mistakes all over again.
The American is a young talent on the rise and should be able to get past the experienced Herbert without much fuss.
Pick: Sebastian Korda to win in straight sets.